Denver · typical $200–$600
Frozen drain lines in Denver
Denver winters are mostly mild with sudden arctic fronts. Those few brutal nights are when drains in the coldest corners of older homes freeze, usually without warning.
Frozen drain line in Denver?
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Frozen lines and thaw calls
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Denver's usual suspects
- Kitchen drains in additions and enclosed porches built over crawlspaces
- Laundry lines on north-facing exterior walls
- High-efficiency furnace condensate lines exiting the side of the house
- Bathrooms over unheated garages in newer homes
During an arctic front
- 01
Open cabinets
Let house heat reach sink drains on exterior walls.
- 02
Run warm water a few times a day
Moving water in vulnerable drains is less likely to freeze.
- 03
Check the furnace exit
If the furnace shuts off, look for ice where the condensate line exits.
- 04
Call if a drain stops
Plumbers thaw lines from inside with steam or hot water. Never use a torch.
Denver's freeze pattern
Denver can sit in the 50s one afternoon and drop below zero the next night when an arctic front comes down the plains. Pipes that never froze in a normal winter freeze in those swings because nobody has prepared for them. The calls come in clusters: the first very cold morning, then again when the cold breaks and a thawed line reveals a clog or a crack.
Older Denver homes with enclosed back porches, bump-out kitchens and finished attics are where drains most often run through spaces that were never insulated for it.
Common questions
Why did my Denver kitchen drain freeze when the rest of the house was fine?+
Kitchen drains in older additions often run through a cold crawlspace or exterior wall that gets far colder than the house.
Can a frozen condensate line shut off my furnace?+
Yes. High-efficiency furnaces have a safety switch that stops the furnace when the condensate can't drain.
How do I stop it freezing next winter?+
Insulate the exposed drain, close crawlspace vents for winter and consider heat cable on the condensate line.