Frozen water pipes could cause danger to a residential or commercial establishment when left ignored. This happens when water freezes and exerts extreme pressure that can rupture and damage not only the pipes but also the floors, ceilings, and walls.
There might also be no leaks yet when frozen water has blocked the pipe until it starts to thaw. At this point, it can cause too much water from the pipes and lead to flooding and further damage. Going on a tropical holiday to escape freezing weather back home won’t solve the problem. Better yet, hire a professional plumber near you to fix frozen water pipes before it gets worse.
How to prevent frozen water pipes
One must be aware that pipes located in these specific locations are most prone to freezing:
- Unheated basement or crawl space
- Outside walls that are subject to freezing temperatures due to the weather
- Near outdoor faucets
When your pipes are already frozen, thaw them as soon as possible to prevent rupturing. A ruptured pipe means a disaster waiting to happen. You can apply the following thawing techniques depending on the location of the frozen pipes. Here are also tips to prevent frozen pipes:
- Keep the faucet dripping during cold weather. This will prevent the pipes from freezing if there is moving water. It can cause water wastage but this could be a better option than repairing or replacing burst pipes.
- Or if you don’t want to waste water, you can use electric heat tape on the pipes prone to freezing and turn it on during extremely cold weather. You can also use foam insulation wrap, but it could only do so much as slowing down the freezing but it won’t completely prevent a pipe from freezing.
- Install a permanent heater in areas where pipes are prone to freezing such as in the garage or basement.
- Keep cabinet doors open and let warm air circulating in the room reach the pipes.
How to thaw a frozen water pipe
Here are ways to thaw a frozen water pipe.
- Use a hairdryer. It is the safest and easiest way to defrost a pipe.
- As already mentioned, you can also use electric heat tape to that a frozen water pipe.
- If the frozen pipe is inside a wall, it could be more challenging to thaw it. What you can do is turn up the heat in your home. This will help the heat reach the inner wall and thaw the frozen pipe. Keeping the room warm for longer can mean higher bills. But it is better than dealing with freezing pipes that could potentially cause flooding and other unimaginable damages.
- You can also try to cut out a ceiling or wall section to check on the frozen pipe. From there, you can thaw the pipe and fix it as needed.
These are useful tips you can do to deal with frozen water pipes. You should not leave it ignored or it could lead to catastrophic consequences. But you don’t have to deal with it alone – you can contact a professional plumber in Franklin TN for your plumbing needs.
