❄ Frozen Pipe Repair Edinburgh

What We Do

• Safe controlled thawing using specialist equipment — no naked flames
• Full pipe inspection after thawing to check for hairline fractures
• Emergency repair if the pipe has already split or burst
• Lagging and insulation advice to prevent future freezing
• Stopcock location and isolation if a burst is imminent
• 24/7 response across Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian & West Lothian

Warning Signs of a Frozen Pipe

• No water from taps despite pipes being intact
• Visible frost or ice on exposed pipework
• Unusual smell from taps (trapped stagnant water)
• Banging or cracking sounds in walls or loft
• Damp patches on walls or ceilings (early burst sign)

Scotland's Winters and Why Pipes Freeze

Edinburgh and the Lothians don't usually get the deep, sustained cold of the Highlands, but the east coast wind chill combined with a housing stock that's often 100 years old or more makes freezing a regular winter problem. A single sharp cold snap — a run of nights below minus four or five — is often enough, especially where pipework has been left exposed by previous renovation work or was never properly lagged in the first place. We see the same pattern every year: a mild spell followed by a sudden freeze catches people out because the heating hasn't been adjusted for the drop.

The pipes most at risk are the ones a 24hr plumber sees again and again: those running through loft spaces above the insulation line, along external or gable-end walls, under suspended timber floors, and in garages or outbuildings that get no ambient heat at all. Modern combi boiler condensate pipes are also a common casualty because they're often routed externally and can freeze solid, shutting the boiler down completely on the coldest night of the year. In tenement flats, shared stairwell pipework and water tanks in cold lofts are frequent culprits.

Prevention is straightforward and far cheaper than a repair: lag any exposed pipework in the loft or garage with foam pipe insulation, keep your heating on a low constant setting (around 12-15°C) rather than switching it off entirely when the property is empty overnight, and leave loft hatches slightly open during a cold snap to let warm air circulate. Frozen pipes very often precede a burst — as the ice expands it can crack the pipe wall invisibly, and the damage only becomes obvious once the thaw lets water escape through the crack. If you suspect a pipe has frozen, call us as your emergency plumber near you before that happens rather than after.

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