Even when outdoor temperatures start to drop, people can typically depend on more comfortable conditions in their homes. So, it’s all the more exhausting when winter manages to slip inside and cause trouble. A particularly frustrating problem is when the pipes of your plumbing system freeze up. Dealing with frozen pipes can range from inconvenient to a widespread, expensive mess.
Many people聽choose聽to call their plumber to聽take care of聽frozen pipes, and that’s never a bad idea. But you can also thaw them out yourself with just a few items from聽around the聽house. To help you resolve this聽irritating聽plumbing problem, here’s a step-by-step guide for thawing frozen pipes.
Step 1: Locate the Frozen Pipes
The first and sometimes most聽difficult聽step is locating the frozen pipes.聽Running聽all your faucets聽could聽help you narrow down聽possible聽locations. If one faucet isn’t聽running, you can follow those specific plumbing lines and hopefully聽locate聽the frozen pipes. The pipes themselves聽may聽not be obvious to spot unless ice is visibly聽forming around聽them.
Instead, you can聽move聽your hands along the plumbing until you聽notice聽a sudden drop in temperature. Once you’ve found where the plumbing is coldest, you’ve聽likely聽found the frozen pipes.
This method won’t work if every faucet isn’t running. You’ll聽want聽to check the main water line at this point聽as聽it’s the source of your home’s water supply.聽Each聽set of plumbing lines will聽gradually聽lead back to the water main. You’ll聽typically聽find yours in the basement or crawlspace. But if your home doesn’t have either of those things,聽try聽near the water heater or in the garage next. If you still can’t find it,聽locate聽your home’s water meter on an exterior wall, as the main line can often be found on the other side.
Step 2: Flush Your Plumbing System
After聽confirming聽the pipes are frozen,聽turn聽off the main water supply. You can’t thaw the pipes with ice cold water on the聽inside, so you’ll also want to run every faucet if you haven’t already. This flushes the聽leftover聽water from the plumbing. Toilets will need to be flushed as well.
Once the plumbing is drained of water, it’s time to聽start聽the thawing process. Gather a聽few聽things before you begin:
- A source of heat:聽This聽could聽be a hair dryer, a heat lamp, a heating pad or even just a bucket of hot water.
- Some towels or cloths:聽Spare rags can help聽apply聽heat onto the frozen pipes. Or, if the pipes have聽broken, they can help you聽mop聽up.
Step 3:聽Use聽Slow, Even Heat
You聽don't want to聽heat up the pipes too聽fast, as that聽may聽damage your plumbing. Depending on your heat source,聽start at聽the edges of the frozen area. This keeps the process slow and聽steady. Also,聽do your best聽to heat the pipes closest聽toward聽the nearest kitchen or bathroom faucet. If any steam or water is produced by the heating process, it’ll聽escape聽in that direction.
Slowly聽inch your way along the pipe, heating sections聽one聽at a time. Some homeowners聽choose to聽turn up their thermostats, using the warmer air to evenly thaw all the pipes聽at once. As long as this is done slowly, it shouldn’t聽be聽a problem. With聽a bit of聽luck, you’ll have successfully thawed your frozen pipes. But there’s one more step to聽complete.
Step 4: Reopen the Water Main and Check for Leaks
Return聽to the water main. Open the supply line, but only a little. This聽offers聽enough water to check for leaks without聽leaving聽a mess. A leak聽will聽be fairly obvious to聽find, and you should shut the water main off again if you do. At this point, it’s聽often聽best to聽call for聽a plumber. They’ll have the tools and experience to聽resolve聽the damage, including replacing the broken pipes.
If there’s not a leak, however, you can open the main water line the rest of the way before getting to all the faucets.
Frozen Pipe FAQ
Sometimes thawing out frozen pipes is a little more聽difficult. Let’s聽go over聽some of the most likely complications and what you can do to work around them.
How long should it take to drain a frozen pipe?
30 to 45 minutes is a good聽rule of thumb, with more聽serious聽icing requiring聽more聽time. Don’t try to speed the process up with more heat as this聽may聽damage the plumbing and make the problem worse.
What should I do if a pipe bursts or leaks?
Without the聽proper聽tools and experience, it’s聽best聽to聽contact聽a聽trusted plumber聽in聽the U.S.. Not only can they聽repair聽things more quickly and effectively, but they’ll have a better chance of聽noticing聽if other plumbing problems are nearby.
How can I reach frozen pipes if they’re behind walls?
A lot of your plumbing is聽hidden聽behind walls, making them聽particularly聽tricky to thaw out. Heating the聽closest聽accessible area聽may聽work, or you could try heating the section of the wall closest to the frozen pipes. Heat lamps and your thermostat will be聽the聽best options. If these don’t work, you聽may聽have to聽pop out聽a section of the wall to get close enough to聽start聽the thawing process.
How to Prevent Pipes from Freezing
The聽best聽way to thaw frozen pipes is to聽prevent聽them from icing over in the first place. Pipes closest to unheated spaces or the聽outer wall聽of your home are at the most risk. It’s not impossible for other pipes to freeze over, but this is less聽likely聽as they’re聽probably聽close to insulation or between the floors of your home where it’s聽not as cold.
Here are聽some聽things you can do to聽lower聽the risk of pipes freezing:
- Keep your home warmer than 55 degrees:聽You’ll almost certainly prefer warmer temperatures than this, but 55 degrees or more is a good rule of thumb if you won’t be home.
- Insulate your pipes with electric pipe heat tape or insulation wrap:聽These materials keep pipes聽toasty, significantly reducing the risk they’ll freeze over.
- Keep a small amount of water trickling through the plumbing:聽Moving聽water is much more difficult to freeze than聽still聽water. You’ll want to do this with every faucet, and your water bill shouldn’t spike.
- Open cabinets and other doors to ensure even heat distribution:聽Closed doors and cabinets are聽unexpectedly聽good at keeping heat out. Leave these open in聽serious聽cold to keep warm air聽flowing聽freely.
If you聽follow聽these steps, you’ll either聽prevent聽pipes from freezing or have a straightforward way of thawing them out. If you’d聽rather聽leave the work to a professional, call your nearest plumber in聽the U.S.. They’ll make sure your plumbing is taken care of safely.
