Frozen pipes in Kanata and Barrhaven
Ottawa winters regularly drop well below -20°C, and a cold snap is when frozen pipes show up. Newer suburbs like Kanata and Barrhaven are not immune: pipes in garages, bonus rooms over garages, outside walls and kitchen islands on exterior walls are common trouble spots.
Where pipes usually freeze
- Hose bibs (outdoor taps) and the pipe just inside the wall behind them
- Pipes in or near the garage, including lines that feed a room built over it
- Kitchen or bathroom sinks on exterior walls, especially with closed cabinet doors
- Basement rim joists where insulation is thin or there are air leaks
- Crawl spaces and unheated cold rooms
Prevention that actually works
The City of Ottawa's frozen pipes guidance recommends keeping areas with water pipes warm (the City suggests above 8°C), insulating exposed pipes, sealing cold-air leaks, and disconnecting outdoor hoses before winter (ottawa.ca, Frozen water service pipes). In practice:
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls during a cold snap
- Insulate pipes in the garage and the rim joist area with foam pipe sleeves
- Shut off and drain outdoor taps in the fall (see our winterizing guide)
- Never turn the heat way down if you travel in January or February
If the City sends a notice to your address asking you to run a tap during deep frost, follow the instructions on the notice and the City page above.
If you think a pipe is frozen
Signs: no water (or just a trickle) at one tap, frost on a visible pipe, or a strange smell from a drain.
- Open the tap the frozen pipe feeds, so melting water has somewhere to go.
- Warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer, a heating pad or a space heater kept at a safe distance. The City warns: never use an open flame or torch.
- Start closest to the tap and work back toward the frozen section.
- Know where your main shut-off is before you start. If a pipe has split, you'll see water as soon as it thaws.
If there is no water anywhere in the house, the frozen section may be in the water service pipe coming in from the street. The City's page explains what to do and when to contact 3-1-1.
When a pipe bursts
Close the main shut-off valve right away (usually near the water meter in the basement). Then open the lowest tap to drain the lines, and move belongings away from the wet area. This form is not monitored for emergencies, so for active flooding, shut the water off first.
Typical price ranges (published sources)
Frozen-pipe repairs vary too much for a single figure. As a reference, HomeStars reports that Canadian plumbers typically charge $105–$175 per hour, with service calls (usually including the first hour) generally in the $140–$475 range, and "fix a leak" jobs at $200–$950 (HomeStars Canada plumbing cost guide, updated Aug. 2026). These are typical ranges, not our prices. Opening a finished wall or ceiling to reach the pipe adds drywall repair on top.
After the thaw: prevent it next year
A pipe that froze once will usually freeze again. Common permanent fixes include rerouting the line to a warmer wall, adding insulation, or replacing an old outdoor tap with a frost-free model.
Get a personal quote from photos
Send us:
- A photo of the area where the pipe froze or burst
- A wider photo showing the wall, garage or cabinet it runs through
- Your neighbourhood (Kanata, Barrhaven or elsewhere in Ottawa)
A licensed plumber reviews every request and replies with a personal quote. No automatic estimates and no obligation. This is a small pilot, so we can't promise a response time.