How to Deal With Frozen Pipes

Frozen water pipes are a serious risk during very cold winter weather. When the pipe bursts it will spill several hundred gallons of water which could cause thousands of dollars of damage to your home. If your pipe is frozen but not yet ruptured, you need to promptly thaw it out.

How to Thaw a Frozen Pipe

• Open the faucet supplied by the frozen pipe.
• Follow the pipe back from the faucet to where it runs through cold areas such as an exterior wall, unheated crawl space or in some cases an unheated basement if the pipe is near an outside wall. Sometimes the pipe will have frost or ice on it. If the situation is getting critical the pipe may be slightly bulged or look slightly fissured.

How to Unfreeze a Pipe

• Turn up the heat in the house and wait;
• Use an infrared lamp or lamps to assist in heating the pipe. Infrared lamps are better than regular heat lamps.
• Use a hair dryer on the pipe or small portable heater.
• Use a mechanical thawing machine. At Expert Plumbing Service, we can schedule for a plumber to assist with this method.

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

• Leave the faucet drip slightly as a trickle. The dripping water will keep the water in the pipe from freezing.
• Open kitchen base cabinet and let room air circulate.
• Open kitchen base cabinet and place a small portable heater near or in it to heat the pipes
• Wrap the problem pipe with electrical heat tape.
• Insulate the problem pipes with foam insulation wrap, especially those that run through unheated spaces.
• Temper the currently unheated crawlspace by placing a heater in the crawlspace. You just need to elevate the crawlspace temperature to slightly above freezing, about 40°F.

Let Us Help With Your Frozen Pipes

Are you experiencing an issue with your pipes freezing? To prevent further damage it’s best to call in a professional. Expert Plumbing Service can help! With our top-quality plumbing repair services, we can get your pipes up and running in no time. Give us a call today to find out how we can help you!

Plumbing services can add up in costs. Expert Plumbing Service understands this and wants to help. That is why we offer a number of coupons for our valued customers, including $25 off your next plumbing service. Reach out to our office today to discuss your options.