Which pipes freeze first?

Lines in unheated or poorly insulated spaces: attics, exterior walls, crawlspaces, garages, and anything outdoors, such as hose bibbs, irrigation lines, and pool equipment lines.

What can I do myself before a freeze?

Cover outdoor hose bibbs with insulated covers, disconnect and store garden hoses, know where your main shutoff is, open cabinet doors on exterior walls, and let faucets drip during a hard freeze.

Does insulation guarantee pipes will not freeze?

No. Insulation slows heat loss. It does not create heat, so in a long deep freeze, even insulated lines in an exposed spot can freeze. Insulation lowers the odds. Dripping faucets and keeping the house heated also help.

When should I insulate?

Before the first hard freeze. In North Texas, that means autumn. Cold snaps can arrive with little warning, so the work is easier to do before one is forecast.

What if a pipe has already frozen?

Shut off the main water valve and call us. Do not use an open flame to thaw it. If the pipe has split, see our emergency leak and burst pipe repair page.

Can you insulate pipes inside walls?

Lines inside exterior walls are hard to reach. We look at your house and explain what can be insulated, what can be moved, and what is better left alone.

Pipe Insulation in Aubrey, TX | Vor-Tex Plumbing Co.

Insulate before the freeze: pipe protection for Aubrey and Denton County homes

A pipe that freezes can split, and the damage often shows only after the thaw, when water pours out. Insulation is a simple step that lowers the risk. Vor-Tex Plumbing Co. helps homeowners in Aubrey and across Denton County protect the lines that are most exposed: attic pipes, pipes in exterior walls, and outdoor lines. Doing it in autumn is easier than doing it after a forecast turns cold. This page is part of our drain and sewer services.

Which lines are at risk

Attic lines. Supply pipes running through an attic sit outside the heated part of the house.
Exterior wall lines. A pipe in a wall that faces north or west can be only a few inches from cold air.
Outdoor lines. Hose bibbs, irrigation connections, and lines to outdoor kitchens or pool equipment are exposed on every side.
Garage and crawlspace pipes. Unheated spaces give pipes little protection.
Water heater lines in unconditioned spaces. A heater in a garage or attic closet has pipes that can freeze.

What you can do yourself

Some of the most useful protection costs little and takes an afternoon.

Put covers on hose bibbs. Insulated outdoor faucet covers are sold at hardware stores. Disconnect garden hoses first, so water does not sit in the faucet.
Find your main shutoff. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is and how to turn it.
Open cabinet doors on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes behind them.
Let faucets drip during a hard freeze, starting with taps on exterior walls. Moving water is harder to freeze.
Keep the heat on. Set the thermostat to a steady temperature, even if you are away.

What we do

We look at where your supply lines run, starting with the attic and exterior walls and moving to outdoor connections. Then we tell you which lines are most exposed and what protection fits each one. Where a pipe can be reached, we insulate it. Where a line is badly placed, such as one run along an outside wall, we explain whether insulation is enough or whether a change would help more. You get the estimate before we start, and we show you the finished work. We do not promise that a pipe will never freeze. We tell you what lowers the risk.

Warning signs a pipe has frozen

Water slows to a trickle or stops at one faucet, and the others work.
Frost on the outside of an exposed pipe.
A pipe that bulges or feels ice-cold.

If you suspect a frozen pipe, shut off the main water valve. Do not use an open flame to thaw it. Call us at (469) 552-2881. If it has already split, our emergency repair service is ready around the clock.

What a visit looks like

You call (469) 552-2881. Tell us where your pipes run, or what worries you, such as a cold attic or an old outside faucet. We book the first same-day or next-day window.
We look and quote on site. The $79 dispatch fee covers the visit and is applied toward your repair total when you approve the recommended work.
You get the estimate first. Nothing starts until you say yes.
We do the work and show you. Then you pay, and we ask for a review.
Warranty. Parts and labor carry a 5-year warranty when we supply the parts.

When to schedule

Autumn is the practical window. The weather is mild enough to work in an attic, and a hard freeze is still weeks away. Once a cold front is in the forecast, schedules fill and access gets harder. The lines you protect in the fall are lines you will not have to worry about in January.

The January 2026 cold snap

When cold weather hit in January 2026, Fox 4 ran warnings to protect pipes across North Texas, including the advice to drip lines on outside walls, insulate attic pipes, and locate the shutoff. That is the same list we use here. The advice is easy to follow before the cold arrives and hard to follow once it has.

Related work

Outdoor lines and spigots are also covered under exterior plumbing repair. If the same pipes have failed before, repiping may be a better fix than insulating a weak line. For a general check of your home, ask about a plumbing inspection.

Pipe Insulation