Frozen Pipe Bursts Part 2: Thawing Frozen Pipes

1/5/2016 (Permalink)

Act quickly if you discover frozen pipes in your home to avoid the damage that pipe bursts can cause.

Frozen Pipe Bursts Part 2: Thawing Frozen Pipes

In the previous blog post, we discussed how to prevent frozen pipes in order to avoid a pipe burst. If a frozen pipe occurs despite your best efforts at prevention, there are still steps that you can take to thaw the affected pipe before a burst occurs and the situation becomes a much bigger issue. You will notice a pipe may have frozen when after turning on a tap no water or a very small trickle comes out.

• The first thing you should do is turn off the main water supply. If you don’t already know where your main water supply is, locate it now in order to be able to act quickly if you ever find yourself in a situation where your pipes have frozen.
•  Locate the frozen pipe by turning on taps one at a time to see if water flows out. If water flows in all areas of the house except for one, trace the line from the blocked faucet to areas that may be more exposed to cold. If water does not flow out of any of the taps, the frozen pipe may be located near the water meter.
• Once you have located the affected area, use a blow dryer, heat lamp, or other heat source to apply heat to the affected area. Do NOT use a blowtorch or any other device with an open flame.
• Keep the faucet open and apply heat from the open tap toward the blockage. Continue to apply heat until the water flows from the faucet at normal pressure.
• If you are struggling to find the blockage or are unsure if the pipe is clearing properly, contact a plumber.

Even during a close call with a frozen pipe, if you follow these steps and put the preventative tips from the previous blog post into action, you can boost your chances of avoiding water damage to your home due to a pipe burst.

Sources:

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/thawing-frozen-pipes.shtml

http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm/preventing-thawing-frozen-pipes