What to Do if You Have Frozen Pipes

With the cold weather right around the corner, it is a good time to learn about frozen pipes. More specifically, what you should do if you have frozen pipes. Mr. Rooter Plumbing has over 50 years of experience dealing with such a scenario, but we like to share our knowledge with the community. This article will go over some preventative measures that you can take, some ways to deal with frozen pipes, and some things NOT to do when your pipes have frozen. If you have any questions or concerns, then give Mr. Rooter Plumbing a call whenever you need a local plumber in your area. Our lines are available at any and every time of the day.

How To Tell Your Pipes Have Frozen

The first step toward fixing those frozen pipes is awareness of the situation. The most discernible sign of a frozen pipe is low water pressure coming from faucets. If it is below freezing outside and your faucet only trickles when you turn your faucet full blast, then you likely have frozen pipes. Don’t ignore frozen pipes unless you want to deal with burst pipes and costly water damage. Act now!

Start with Prevention

Prevention is better than cure. There is no way that you can control the weather, but you can control the effects of frosty weather on your plumbing system. Keep your eye on the weather conditions and follow these tips if you expect temperatures to drop:

• Allow faucets to trickle. Flowing water resists freezing. A few extra dollars on the water bill is much better than spending hundreds or thousands on pipe repairs and water damage restoration.
• Keep your building warm. Set your thermostat no lower than 50 degrees. Don’t leave windows or garage doors open. Consider a space heater in areas that are unconditioned.
• Insulate your exposed pipes with foam insulation and/or electrical heat tape.

Resolving Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are, in a sense, clogged. It is important to stop the flow of water to prevent the pipe from bursting due to the water pressure. Start by turning off the main water line. Then, open a faucet supplied by the frozen pipe to release pressure and give the water somewhere to go once the ice is thawed.
Let’s get started on the thawing. For obvious reasons, thawing an exposed pipe is much easier than thawing hidden ones. For exposed pipes, start from the faucet side and work your way deeper. You can use a hair dryer, infrared heating lamp, portable space heater, heating pad, electric pipe heat tape, or even towels soaked in hot water. Though, you should remember to change out the towels regularly to prevent them from worsening the freezing. For hidden pipes, you can turn up the thermostat or tear out a section of the wall to access the pipe.

Contact the Professionals

The certified plumbers at Mr. Rooter Plumbing have advanced equipment and the know-how to deal with hidden frozen pipes effectively. Call Mr. Rooter Plumbing if you would prefer to have a professional take care of those frozen pipes.