Freezing Nights and Lehi Houses
Lehi sits in a valley where cold air pools on clear winter nights, and many homes were built fast on slabs and in finished basements. Pipes that run along an exterior wall, through a garage ceiling or into a crawl space are the usual victims. A line that freezes and splits can sit quiet for hours.
Lehi City's pressurized irrigation page says owners turn their connections off each year by October 15th, and the system itself stays active all year because it supplies fire hydrants. A hose bib or sprinkler line left charged into November is a common place for ice to start.
Frost depth is a city rule that varies by town. Neighboring Spanish Fork's design criteria page lists a frost depth of 30 inches, and Lehi's own building page says current codes will be posted soon, so ask Lehi Building and Inspections what applies to your service line.
Sources: Lehi City pressurized irrigation page (city), Spanish Fork design criteria page (city, neighboring town), Lehi Building and Inspections page (city).
Why a Frozen Pipe Floods a House So Fast
Ice does not usually burst a pipe where the ice is. Pressure builds between the ice plug and a closed faucet, and the pipe splits at its weakest spot, often a few inches away. The crack stays plugged by ice until the temperature rises.
When the plug melts, the full pressure of the supply line is released through the split. A small crack can put out several gallons a minute, and a house can take on a lot of water before anyone wakes up or comes home.
Houses left empty over a holiday are the worst case. Nobody hears the first drip, and the water can run for a day or more through a ceiling, down a wall cavity and into a finished basement.
What You See When a Frozen Pipe Has Cracked
| What you notice | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| A faucet gives a trickle or nothing | Ice is blocking the line somewhere upstream |
| Frost or a bulge on an exposed pipe | The pipe has frozen and may be cracked |
| A wet ceiling or a drip from a light | A line above has split and thawed |
| A sound of running water with every tap off | A split pipe is active inside a wall or floor |
| A jump in the water meter reading | Water is leaving the system somewhere |
Treat any sign of running water as urgent, even if you cannot see where it is coming from.
Safety Steps: The First Hour After a Freeze
- Find the main shutoff and close it. If the pipe has already thawed and is spraying, this is the step that stops the damage.
- Open the lowest faucet to drain the lines and relieve pressure.
- Leave power alone in any room where water is reaching outlets, switches or the panel, and call an electrician if you cannot reach the breaker safely.
- Do not use an open flame to thaw anything. A hair dryer or warm towels is safer for a pipe you can reach.
- Photograph the damage before you move belongings, then call a restoration crew and your insurer.
Water coming through a ceiling or wall right now?
Shut off the main, then call. Dispatch is open 24/7 and a crew can plan the first steps with you on the phone.
Call (385) 988-9410
What Crews Do After a Freeze Burst
Stop and locate
Confirm the water is off, then trace wet areas with a meter and a thermal camera to find where the water traveled.
Extract
Pumps and extraction tools remove standing water from floors and basements before drying starts.
Open and remove
Wet insulation and board that cannot dry are cut out so the cavity can breathe.
Dry and verify
Air movers and dehumidifiers run while readings are logged until they match dry reference material.
Crews follow ANSI/IICRC S500 as an industry reference for water damage work. It is a published standard, and we do not claim a certification from it. It is a published standard, and we do not claim a certification from it. A plumber repairs the pipe itself, and we coordinate drying around that repair so the cavity is not closed up wet.
What Changes the Cost
- How long the pipe ran before it was shut off
- How many floors and rooms the water reached, including the one below
- Whether insulation, drywall or flooring had to be removed
- How much drying equipment is needed and for how many days
- Whether the water stayed clean or picked up contamination on the way
Scope and price are laid out before any work begins. We do not quote a flat number over the phone, because a split in a basement ceiling and a split in an attic are very different jobs.
Insurance and Frozen Pipes
A sudden burst is usually treated differently from a slow, long-term leak, but the policy language decides. The Utah Insurance Department's home claims page says frozen pipe damage may not be covered if it was caused by negligence, such as not keeping the house adequately heated.
The same page says to call your insurer as soon as possible, document damage with photos or video, and hold off on permanent repairs until the insurer has inspected. Keep receipts for emergency steps, because the adjuster may ask for them.
Mistakes to Avoid and How to Prevent a Repeat
- Do not turn the heat off in an empty house to save money
- Do not leave hoses attached or sprinkler lines charged after the fall shutoff
- Do not wait to see whether a thawed pipe is leaking, check along its whole length
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls during hard freezes
- Let a faucet drip on the coldest nights if a line has frozen before
Related pages explain what happens next. Read about emergency water removal for pumping and structural drying for the equipment that finishes the job. We also serve American Fork and Pleasant Grove, where winter freezes are just as common.
Common Questions
Yes. Dispatch runs around the clock and a same-day crew is possible when one is free. Arrival times are not promised, so close the main valve and call at once.
If water is flowing, shut off the main and call. If the pipe is frozen but not leaking, you can warm it slowly with a hair dryer, but never use a flame.
It depends on the policy and on how the home was heated. The Utah Insurance Department says negligence can affect coverage, so ask your insurer directly.
A plumber repairs the pipe. We extract water, remove materials that cannot dry and dry the structure, and we can coordinate timing with your plumber.
It varies with the water amount and materials. Readings are taken until walls and floors match dry reference material, usually over several days.