Mamba Drainage Services
Frozen Pipe Repair Vancouver
Tap will not run after the first hard freeze of the year? Pipe let go overnight and water is everywhere? Vancouver cold snaps catch every unprepared house. We thaw, repair and prevent.
24/7 emergency response. Heat trace install, pipe insulation, burst pipe repair. Call (778) 961-0824.
What a freezing or frozen line looks like
The first three mean act now. The last three mean you got lucky and the pipe survived.
- One fixture runs and the rest of the house does not, usually the top floor bathroom
- Flow drops to a trickle and then stops entirely during a cold night
- Frost or condensation showing on an exposed run in the crawl space
- A bulge, a split seam or a bright ring of ice on visible copper
- Water at the base of an exterior wall once the temperature comes back up
- A hose bib that turns freely in spring but pushes water into the wall
- A gurgle or a knock in the wall when the thaw starts
Why Vancouver pipes freeze even in a mild winter
Vancouver does not get cold the way Calgary does. It gets cold enough, often enough, to freeze unprotected pipe every winter. Pacific weather hands us a short run of nights below freezing most years, and an Arctic outflow event out of the Fraser Valley can push it a lot colder than that. Houses built and insulated for a mild winter, which is most of the older stock in this city, have under insulated crawl spaces, supply lines run through exterior walls, and exposed hose bibs. All of them freeze fast when the temperature drops.
The pattern is always the same. Temperature falls overnight. Water stops at the upstairs bathroom first, because that is the longest supply run and it usually travels through an exterior wall. The homeowner calls in the morning. If the pipe has frozen but not split, we thaw it with controlled heat. If it has already burst, we shut off the main, dry the area, repair the section and document the failure for insurance.
Hose bibs are the most common burst point. An exterior valve with no insulation, often still wearing a garden hose when the freeze arrives. The hose stops the bib draining, water freezes inside the bib body, ice expands and the brass cracks. You find out in April, when you turn the water back on and it floods the wall behind it.
Kitchen sink supply lines on exterior walls come second. Anything built in Vancouver before wall insulation standards tightened tends to run copper through a 2×4 exterior wall with nothing but batt insulation outboard of the pipe. Cold soaks in overnight and the line freezes.
We handle the whole cycle. Emergency thaw, burst repair, drying coordination after the event, heat trace cable, insulation upgrades, and frost free hose bib replacement. Phones answered live at (778) 961-0824.
How we thaw a pipe without bursting it
24/7 emergency dispatch
Cold snap in the forecast, or water already on the floor
Heat trace and insulation in the fall beat a burst pipe and a drywall repair in February by a long way. And if a line has already let go, shut the main and call. Phones are answered live around the clock.
What Vancouver customers say
Ryan was great! My landlord called him to fix my blocked kitchen sink. He showed up the same day (on a Sunday) and fixed the problem. He even cleaned the sink and dried up all the water that had leaked before he got there. And he was very careful coming in and out of the house so my cat wouldn’t get out. I’d definitely recommend him.
Ryan is INCREDIBLE. He has been responding to all of us (four houses and families!) affected by a sewage back up. This is all on Boxing Day and beyond, in terrible weather full of ice, cold and rain. He is so knowledgeable, and knew what was needed right away. Just the top of his field I am sure. As well as that, he is incredibly calm, respectful, kind and fair. I am truly amazed by this person's capacity and competence in combination with his noble, calm presence in the face of a real mess. Thank you Ryan, so very much!
I had very positive experience with Mamba Services, Ryan was amazing to work with and took care of my drain issues in no time. He arrived on time, was very professional and efficient in carrying out the work. What impressed me was how honest he was in recommending needed repair. He was very patient in explaining the different options. I will certainly call them for future projects.
Had an excellent experience. Ryan was fantastic, it was an after hours call late in the evening and he showed up exactly in the time frame he gave. Took care of the kitchen sink issue within minutes all systems were running like new. Pricing was extremely reasonable, Ryan was patient and explained everything to me while fixing my problem. I would highly recommend this company for any plumbing work.
Ryan was efficient, experienced, and knowledgeable. He was able to squeeze me into his schedule with short notice and wasted no time with my appointment. He arrived on site inspected the issue, and was quickly at work with resolving the problem. I am very pleased with his service and honesty. He provided recommendations that will help assist me in future occurrences.
Frozen pipe FAQ, Vancouver
Do not use a torch or any open flame. Open the affected faucet so water has somewhere to go once the thaw starts. Put gentle heat on the pipe, a hairdryer on low, a heating pad or a space heater nearby. If nothing moves, call us. We have controlled heat trace and thermal imaging and we can thaw it without splitting it.
Shut off the main water valve. It is usually in the basement on the incoming line, and it is worth knowing where it is before you ever need it. Then open every faucet in the house to drain the system, get valuables up off the floor, and call us at (778) 961-0824 for emergency response.
We answer live and you get a real arrival window on the call. Cold events are the busiest stretch of our year and we staff up for them, so tell us on the phone whether water is running or the line is simply frozen. That is what sets the order we work in.
Most BC home policies cover sudden and accidental burst pipe water damage. Slow long term seepage usually is not covered. We document the failure with timestamped photos and a written report formatted for adjustors, included on every freeze repair. We have worked with Aviva, Intact, BCAA and Wawanesa.
Yes, especially on any bib that has already frozen and split once. A Woodford 17 or a Prier C-244 puts the valve seat on a long stem inside the heated house, so the water sitting in the outside part of the bib drains away and there is nothing left to freeze. It is a permanent fix for the most common freeze damage in Vancouver.
Three options, cheapest first. Open the cabinet doors during a cold snap so warm room air reaches the supply lines. Run heat trace cable on the pipe inside the wall cavity, which needs drywall access. Or reroute the supply through an interior wall, which is the permanent answer and the one we recommend for a run that freezes every year.
Yes. We drain the exterior bibs, blow out the irrigation, drain the pool plumbing, insulate exposed lines and set the thermostat for freeze stat operation. It scales with the property. We do a lot of these for Whistler and Sunshine Coast second homes owned by Vancouver families.
One year workmanship warranty on Mamba labour. Materials carry their manufacturer warranty, so Type L copper is lifetime, PEX-A is 25 year, and frost free bibs are typically 5 year.
Yes. We work with property managers and strata councils across Vancouver and Burnaby on unit level burst repairs and common area freeze events. Full WCB coverage, general liability, and certificates of service emailed for the building file. Volume rates are available for buildings with several units affected at once.
Barely. Self regulating cable only draws power once the pipe approaches freezing, and even then it pulls a few watts per foot. Across a Vancouver winter that is a small number against the cost of one burst line and the drywall behind it.
24/7 EMERGENCY DISPATCH
Water where it should not be?
Ryan picks up. Live dispatch, and you get a real arrival window on the call.