How to Repair Frozen Water Pipes
Frozen water pipes are bad news. Not only are they an inconvenience, but, if they are let go, the pipes can burst. Burst pipes can mean water damage, a flooded basement, perhaps, and expensive repairs to your home.
It doesn’t matter if the water pipes in your home are plastic (PVC) or copper- both materials freeze equally. Both types of material need to be thawed out just as soon as possible.
First, you should check the other faucets in your house. Find out if the problem involves just one faucet, or if it’s a widespread problem. If only one faucet is out of order, that pinpoints the problem to being between the faucet and the line that leads to it.
Next, the most obvious place where a pipe freezes is where it’s not insulated. Also, pipes that are located along an outside wall, such as in a basement or crawl space, are more likely to freeze in the winter weather. Sometimes, pipes that are located underneath a kitchen or bathroom cabinet can freeze too. The closed up cabinets keep the warm air in the room from reaching the pipes.
Sometimes, you can actually feel the pipe to help determine exactly where the frozen water is located. Obviously, the icy area will feel much colder than the rest of the pipe.
Open the faucet that corresponds with the line that’s frozen. That is, if the hot water line is frozen, then open that side of the faucet. Same with the cold water side. If your cold water doesn’t run, then turn that faucet on. By doing this, you can tell when you have the problem fixed. That, and turning the faucet on can actually help to alleviate pressure in the line.
Use a hair dryer- preferably an old one- and turn the heat and fan to “high”. Move the hair dryer along the pipe that you think is frozen. You’ll need patience to do this, especially if the pipe is frozen solid. Work from the faucet down the length of the supply line.
If the frozen water pipe is located in a kitchen or bathroom cabinet, sometimes a heater positioned in front of the open cabinet can help thaw the pipe faster.
When the pipe begins to thaw out and the water begins to run again, leave the faucet open for several minutes. This will help to clear the ice out of the line. Then, turn the water off and inspect the affected line for possible leaks. If you happen to find a leak, you’ll need to shut the water off at the main valve and patch or replace the pipe.
Now that you have your frozen water pipe thawed out again, you should take steps so that this problem doesn’t occur again. Here are some steps you can take to effectively eliminate the problem:
1. Insulate the Water Pipes
You can purchase insulation that is specially made for water pipes. This type of insulation is inexpensive, and it’s readily available at your local hardware or at your local home supply center. This product comes in lengths. The lengths are round, and they have a slit along one side so they may be cut to size, then slid over the pipe.
2. Install Heat Tape on Exposed Pipes
This is also readily available at your local hardware or at your local home supply center. However, it is considerably more expensive than insulation. It also takes time to install and use.
For safety’s sake, only buy a product that is “UL Listed.” That means that it has been approved for use by the Underwriters Laboratories.
Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions in order to achieve the best results. Basically, though, you’ll need to wrap the heat tape around the water pipes you want to protect from freezing. You’ll then need to plug the cord into a household outlet. The heat wrap will keep the pipes warm so they cannot freeze.
3. Let the Water Slowly Drip
This is the best prevention to avoid having a frozen water pipe in your house when the mercury drops down low. You shouldn’t need to let all of your faucets drip, only the ones that are prone to freezing.
