Published August 29, 2026
A burst half-inch supply line discharges roughly 200 to 250 gallons per hour. Unnoticed overnight in a vacant or vacationing unit, that is thousands of gallons through a stack of apartments. This is the single most damaging winter event in Minnesota multifamily.
Where apartment pipes freeze
- Exterior-wall kitchen and bath supply lines, especially in corner units
- Vacant units where heat was turned down below 55°F
- Unheated crawl spaces, garages, and stair vestibules
- Hose bibs left connected in the fall
- Sprinkler lines in unheated areas — these cause the largest losses
- Units where the resident closed a supply register or left a window cracked
Prevention, before December
- Set and lock a minimum 55°F in every unit, including vacants; verify vacants weekly.
- Disconnect and drain all exterior hose bibs in October.
- Insulate exposed lines in crawl spaces, garages, and utility rooms.
- Air seal rim joists and exterior-wall penetrations near plumbing.
- Confirm sprinkler system areas are heated and monitored.
- Notify residents in writing: keep heat at 55°F minimum, leave cabinet doors open on exterior walls during cold snaps, report no-hot-water or weak flow immediately.
- Map and label shutoffs, and confirm every valve actually turns.
When a line freezes but has not burst
- Open the faucet so melting water has somewhere to go.
- Apply gentle heat: hair dryer, heat lamp, or a space heater at a safe distance.
- Never use an open flame, torch, or propane heater near framing.
- Work from the faucet back toward the frozen section.
- Stay with it. Frozen lines that thaw often reveal a split immediately.
When it bursts
- Shut off the unit valve, then the riser, then the main if needed.
- Cut power to affected areas.
- Check the units below — burst lines are almost always multi-unit events.
- Photograph and log times.
- Call mitigation immediately. A frozen-pipe loss in a stack is not an in-house job.
- Notify residents in writing about access, timing, and relocation.
Vacant-unit discipline
Most catastrophic multifamily freeze losses happen in units nobody was walking. Between tenants:
- Heat stays at 55°F minimum
- Weekly walk-through in December through February, documented
- Consider shutting off unit water at the riser if the unit will sit more than two weeks
- Low-temperature monitoring sensors are inexpensive and pay for themselves the first time
Insurance
Frozen pipe damage is generally covered, but carriers deny claims where heat was not maintained — which is exactly why the weekly vacant walk log matters. Keep dated records of thermostat settings and inspections.
24-hour response
We take emergency calls from Twin Cities apartment owners and maintenance teams for burst-pipe water loss: extraction, drying, and full rebuild through paint and flooring.
Licensed MN remodeler QC807391, insured. Call 612-400-8036.
Want an exact number for your project?
Free on-site estimate across the Twin Cities metro — no pressure, no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How much water does a burst pipe release in an apartment?
A half-inch supply line discharges roughly 200 to 250 gallons per hour, which is why an overnight burst in a vacant unit typically damages multiple units below.
What temperature should vacant apartment units be kept at in Minnesota?
A minimum of 55°F, verified by a documented weekly walk-through during December through February. Carriers commonly deny freeze claims where heat was not maintained.
How do you thaw a frozen pipe safely?
Open the faucet, apply gentle heat with a hair dryer or heat lamp working from the faucet back toward the freeze, and never use an open flame or torch near framing.