What You Can Do If Your Water Pipes Freeze Up

Winter’s freezing temperatures are a busy time of the year for plumbers. Service calls to thaw out frozen water pipes will keep the phones ringing off the hook the morning after a night of sub-zero weather. While plumbers do a great job at this, you can do it yourself and do it safely as well. The knowledge in this plumbing improvement guide is meant to help you to safely thaw out the frozen water pipes without calling a plumber.

The quickest way for a water pipe to freeze up is to leave it uninsulated and exposed to freezing cold air from the outside. Sections of exposed water pipe can be found almost anywhere in a house or apartment building. Water pipes can be installed in the attic, the basement, under the floors and inside the walls. Because these are usually unheated spaces, the water pipes installed there go ignored until the freeze and burst. A burst water pipe is going to cause flooding and damage to the immediate area and eventually the entire room if left unrepaired. Because of the tile work and fixtures in most bathrooms these days, repairing a frozen water pipe there is likely to become an expensive problem.

There is one important safety reminder about thawing out frozen water pipes. Never use an open flame of any kind to thaw out a frozen water pipe. Without first taking fire prevention steps, using an open flame can result in a house fire. There’s no reason for anyone to use an open flame to thaw a frozen water pipe. Any source of radiant heat works just as well, although not as quickly, as an open flame.

The best and most obvious source of radiant heat is the hand-held hair blow dryer, although a household radiant heater will work as well. Either one can quickly and safely create enough heat to do the job. Unless the water pipe has burst, it can be thawed out quickly and safely using this technique. With the water working again, you should take the time to located the reason the water pipe froze up and improvement it. You should identify the source of the air leak and plug up the hole with expanding foam or by adding more insulation.

Filling cracks and holes in the wall is easily accomplished with aerosol insulating foam that expands when it comes into contact with air. There are different types of foam, each intended for use in specific applications. It’s a good idea to discuss your situation with a sales person if you have any questions about which type of foam is best suited for your home. Expanding foam will stick to your skin unless you wear protective gloves.

Check you home’s walls, basement, attic and crawlspace for proper insulation before winter arrives. Take care of your home’s insulation and protect your water pipes from freezing before winter parks itself on your doorstep. Doing so will save you quite a bit a misery when the temperatures are at their lowest. If you are faced with a frozen pipe problem in spite of your best efforts, remember to use only radiant heat and not an open flame to thaw out the water pipes.

That’s all there is for this plumbing service guide. For more wisdom about how you can make basic plumbing repairs, visit PracticalRepairs.com where all home repairs are good repairs.