How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Park City, Heber City & Summit County

Every winter we get calls from homeowners in Park City, Heber City, and Midway dealing with frozen — and sometimes burst — pipes. It’s one of the most expensive plumbing emergencies there is. A single burst pipe can dump hundreds of gallons of water into a home before anyone notices, and the water damage alone often runs $10,000–$50,000 depending on what it reaches. If pipes have already burst, our guide on what to do when a pipe bursts walks through the exact steps to take in the first 15 minutes.

The good news: frozen pipes are almost entirely preventable. Here’s what you need to know.

Why Mountain Utah Is High Risk

Park City sits at roughly 7,000 feet elevation. Heber City is at 5,600 feet. Temperatures in these areas regularly drop to -10°F to -15°F in January and February — and stay there for days at a time, not just overnight. When the valleys along the Wasatch Front are having a cold snap, the mountain communities are dealing with something significantly more severe.

The danger zone for pipes is sustained temperatures below 20°F. At that point, any pipe that’s exposed to outside air — in an exterior wall cavity, an unheated crawl space, a garage, or an attic — is at real risk. The water inside doesn’t freeze instantly; it’s the sustained cold over hours that does the damage.

Add in older construction common in some Park City neighborhoods, where pipe routing through exterior walls was done without today’s insulation standards, and you’ve got a real vulnerability.

Winterization Steps Before Cold Sets In

Insulate Exposed Pipes

Any pipe running through an unheated space needs pipe insulation. Foam pipe sleeves are cheap — $3–$5 for a 6-foot section — and they make a meaningful difference. Focus on:

• Pipes in crawl spaces or basements with vented walls
• Pipes on exterior walls in garages or unheated utility rooms
• Any pipe within 6 inches of an exterior wall in older construction
• Hose bibs and the supply lines feeding them

For areas of extreme exposure, heat tape (also called pipe heating cable) is worth the investment. It’s an electric resistance cable that wraps around the pipe and keeps it above freezing. Use UL-listed products and follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions — improper installation is a fire hazard.

Disconnect and Drain Garden Hoses

This is the one people skip, and it causes a surprising number of problems. A garden hose left connected to a hose bib traps water behind the frost-free valve, preventing it from draining. Even frost-free hose bibs fail when a hose is left attached. Disconnect all hoses by mid-October in Summit County and Wasatch County.

Know Where Your Main Shutoff Is

If pipes do freeze or burst, the first thing you need to do is shut off the water main. Walk through your home right now and locate it. In most Utah homes it’s near the water meter — often in a utility room, crawl space, or front yard vault. Make sure it operates freely. I’ve seen shutoff valves that haven’t been turned in 20 years seize up exactly when you need them.

Seal Air Leaks Near Pipes

Cold air intrusion is often the culprit in pipe freezes, not just ambient temperature. Look for gaps around where pipes penetrate exterior walls, dryer vents, electrical penetrations, and rim joists in crawl spaces. Spray foam or caulk seals these quickly and makes a noticeable difference.

Set Your Thermostat Appropriately

During cold snaps, keep interior temperature at 55°F minimum — even in rooms you’re not using. Open cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks on exterior walls to let warm air circulate around the pipes.

If Pipes Do Freeze

If you turn on a faucet and nothing comes out, or flow is severely reduced, you likely have a frozen pipe. Here’s what to do:

Keep the faucet open. As the pipe thaws, water needs somewhere to go. Keeping the faucet open also relieves pressure buildup, which is actually what causes pipes to burst — not the ice itself, but the pressure between the ice blockage and a closed valve.

Apply gentle heat to the frozen section. A hair dryer works well. Work from the faucet end toward the frozen section. Never use an open flame — a torch near a pipe inside a wall is how house fires start.

If you can’t find the frozen section or can’t access it, turn the heat in the house up and wait. Space heaters in the affected room can help. Do not leave space heaters unattended.

If the pipe has already burst (you’ll know — there’s water where there shouldn’t be), shut off the main immediately and call a plumber. Don’t wait to see how bad it is.

Protecting Your Park City Vacation Home

This is where frozen pipe risk concentrates. A vacation home that’s unoccupied for weeks at a time, in a high-altitude mountain community, during January — that’s exactly the scenario that leads to catastrophic water damage.

Option 1: Full Winterization (Drain the System)

If the home will be unoccupied from November through March, the safest approach is a full winterization. This means:

• Shutting off the main water supply
• Draining all supply lines (opening all faucets, including outdoor bibs)
• Flushing toilets and adding RV antifreeze to toilet bowls and traps to prevent trap freeze
• Draining the water heater
• Blowing out the system with compressed air if it’s a complex layout

We do this service for Park City and Heber City homes every fall. It’s roughly a 2–3 hour job and provides complete peace of mind.

Option 2: Maintain Heat and Monitor Remotely

If the home needs to stay live (a property management arrangement, for example), keep the heat set to at least 55–60°F. Pair that with a smart thermostat and a Wi-Fi temperature/leak sensor that sends alerts to your phone. Devices like the Flo by Moen or simple Govee temperature sensors cost $30–$150 and can alert you to a temperature drop before pipes freeze — or a leak after they do.

Option 3: Smart Water Shutoff Valve

A whole-home smart shutoff valve (Flo by Moen, Phyn Plus) monitors flow continuously and can detect the pressure signature of a burst pipe, automatically shutting off water supply. At $500–$800 installed, it’s an insurance policy that pays for itself the first time it catches a problem at 2 a.m. on a Thursday in February when you’re in St. George.

The Bottom Line

Frozen pipes are a when-not-if risk in Summit County, Wasatch County, and the mountain communities of Utah County. The steps to prevent them are straightforward and inexpensive compared to the alternative.

If you want someone to walk through your home and identify your exposure points before winter hits — or if you need emergency service for a frozen or burst pipe right now — we’re available around the clock.

Call H&M Plumbing at (801) 787-6905. We serve Park City, Heber City, Midway, Saratoga Springs, and communities across Utah County and Salt Lake County — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our emergency plumbing services are available around the clock for exactly these situations.