Frozen Pipes in Laurens: Before, During and After a Hard Freeze

Why Laurens pipes freeze

Water expands as it freezes, and the pressure splits pipe. CPW's freeze page names the pipes most at risk: outdoor pipes, supply lines in unheated parts of the house, and pipes inside exterior walls. In Laurens County that usually means crawl spaces with open foundation vents, supply lines along the north wall, and hose bibs with a hose still attached.

Before freezing weather

CPW's list starts outside. Disconnect garden hoses from outdoor faucets. Insulate the faucets with a foam cover, rags or paper. Close or cover foundation vents. Repair broken windows, close off crawl spaces and stop drafts near water lines.

Then find the valves. CPW says to know where the property owner's cut-off valve is and how to use it; it sits next to the water meter box under a small metal lid, and CPW suggests a little penetrating oil before turning it so it does not break. Inside, most single-family homes have a shut-off in the basement or crawl space on the wall facing the street. Test both before winter.

Wrap pipes near exterior walls, in unheated basements and crawl spaces, and near windows. For difficult runs, CPW suggests asking a professional about heat tape.

During a hard freeze

CPW's rule for dripping is specific: drip outside faucets at about five drops a minute, day and night, only when temperatures are expected to be 28 degrees or below for at least four hours, and turn them off afterward. In sustained freezing weather, let inside faucets drip slowly as well, especially on outside walls.

Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so house heat reaches the pipes. Keep an attached garage door shut, since plumbing sometimes runs through it. Give extra attention to any pipe that has frozen before.

If you are leaving the house

A cold house that sits empty during a freeze is the worst case. Keep the heat on at a moderate setting, and consider shutting off the water at the main and draining the lines by opening the lowest faucet. For a second home or rental, arrange for someone to check the house during and after a hard freeze.

If a pipe is frozen but not broken

No water from a faucet in freezing weather usually means a frozen pipe. Open the faucet so melting water can escape, and warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer or warm towels, starting near the faucet and working back. Never use an open flame. If you cannot find or reach the frozen section, call a plumber.

If a pipe bursts

Shut off the main immediately, then the water heater's power or gas. Open a low faucet to drain the system. Photograph the damage. Inside the City of Laurens, an emergency repair can go ahead, with the permit application due within the next working business day if the repair is permitted work. Replacing a split pipe inside a wall with new material is new work under the City's rules. See the emergency checklist.

After the thaw

Check for leaks you could not see while the pipes were frozen: run the meter test from the high water bill checklist, look under sinks and in the crawl space, and turn on outdoor faucets one at a time. CPW also reminds customers who did not shut down and drain an irrigation system to check it for leaks in spring. Report broken or missing meter covers to CPW.

Houses most at risk in Laurens County

Older mill-village houses in Laurens and Clinton often sit on piers with open crawl spaces, and their supply lines run along cold outside walls. Manufactured homes depend on skirting and heat tape to protect lines under the floor, and a gap in the skirting can let wind freeze a line overnight. Lake houses and rentals that sit empty with the heat turned down are vulnerable for the opposite reason: no one is there to notice a frozen line until it thaws and floods.

If your house fits one of those patterns, do the preparation in the fall, when it is easy to crawl under the house, rather than the evening before a forecast freeze. Check the skirting, replace missing foundation vent covers, and look at pipe insulation that may have fallen down or been chewed.

Manufactured homes and heat tape

Manufactured homes deserve their own note. Supply lines run beneath the floor, protected by skirting, insulation and often heat tape. Check that the heat tape is plugged in and working before cold weather, because it often fails silently, and replace damaged insulation. Make sure the skirting is closed all around, and that any access panel is back in place after service. If the home has frozen before, ask a plumber to look at the route of the lines and whether additional insulation or a better heat tape would help.

Freeze checklist

Disconnect hoses. Cover outdoor faucets. Close vents and drafts. Find and test both shut-offs. Wrap exposed pipes. Drip only when CPW's 28-degree, four-hour threshold is forecast. Open sink cabinets. Keep empty houses heated or drained. Check for leaks after the thaw.

Figures on this page come from: Laurens Commission of Public Works: Pipes Freezing; City of Laurens Planning and Development: Do You Need a Permit? and FAQ; Laurens Commission of Public Works: Water. Checked 2026-10-29.