Help! How to Thaw Frozen Pipes?

Key Takeaways

  • If you turn on a faucet and no water comes out or it only drips, that pipe is most likely frozen
  • If your frozen pipe is located inside the walls, turn your heat up; if it doesn’t seem like the pipe is thawing, open the wall and treat it like an exposed pipe
  • For exposed pipes that are frozen, whatever tool you use to thaw them, ensure you begin heating the pipe from the faucet as you move toward the frozen section

Why Pipes Freeze

Pipes typically freeze when the temperature outside drops into the negatives and when it stays below freezing for multiple days. If your pipes are located in an outside wall, under a sink that is near an outside wall, near outdoor faucets (hose bibs), or in an unheated basement or crawl space, they are more likely to freeze. Thawing frozen pipes needs to be done immediately so as to prevent them from bursting.

Locating the Frozen Water Pipe

One clear sign that there are frozen pipes in the house is if you turn on a faucet and no water comes out or it only drips or trickles out. When this happens, you must take action right away.

First, you need to turn off your home’s main water line. Relieve the pressure that will build up in your pipe by keeping the faucet it is connected to turned on. Next, identify the frozen pipe and locate the blockage. Follow the pipe until you find the cold spot.

Search those areas of the pipe, checking to see if any have ice or frost on them. Your pipe could also be fissured or slightly bulged. Once you have located the problem area or areas, it is time to start thawing.

How to Unfreeze Water Pipes Inside a Wall

There are different ways to thaw frozen pipes depending on where they are located. If your frozen pipe is inside a wall, it is crucial to follow these steps:

  • Turn Up the Heat — Before you do anything else, turn the heat up in your home. Raising the temperature will hopefully start to melt the ice. Wait to see if your pipe starts to thaw by checking how much water, if any, is coming out of the faucet.
  • Open Cabinet Doors — If your pipe is in a bathroom or kitchen wall, behind a vanity or sink, help the heat reach the wall where the pipe is by opening the cabinet doors.
  • Use an Infrared Lamp — If you can, place an infrared lamp against the wall and use it to unfreeze the pipe through the wall.
  • Open Up the Wall — When all else fails and you’re afraid that the pipe may rupture, cut out a section of the wall to access the pipe and thaw it like you would an exposed pipe.

How to Thaw a Frozen Exposed Pipe

Whether or not you know how to deal with frozen pipes that are exposed, there are a variety of ways that you can go about thawing them. Whichever way you use, though, make sure that you start heating the pipe from the faucet, moving toward the frozen section, as this will allow the water to flow out of the faucet once the ice melts. When thawing a pipe, you can use:

  • A Blow-Dryer — This is arguably the safest and easiest option. With a blow-dryer, you can also place a baking sheet behind a pipe that is close to the wall in order to help reflect the heat from the wall onto the back of the pipe.
  • A Portable Heater — This is a great option for frozen pipes in a vanity cabinet or under a kitchen sink since you can just direct the heater towards the frozen area.
  • Electric Heat Tape — This type of tape is composed of electrical heating elements, controlled by a thermostat and plugged into the wall. To thaw your frozen pipe, simply wrap the tape around it.
  • A Heating Pad — You can use an electric heating pad to thaw a frozen pipe by plugging it in and wrapping it around the pipe. Soaking towels in hot water and wrapping them around the pipe can be done instead too if you do not have a heating pad. Just make sure to have extra towels on hand so that you can swap the old towels out when they start to cool down.

When choosing a tool to unfreeze your pipes, it is important to avoid using a blow torch or any other device with an open flame. Open flames are dangerous for both the fire hazard they provide, as well as the damage they can do to your pipes.

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

Before worrying about what to do if your pipes freeze, it’s helpful to know how to prevent that from happening. Here are a few tips for keeping your pipes from freezing:

  • Leave Faucets On At a Trickle — By letting the faucets drip, water continues to move through your pipes, keeping the temperature up and stopping them from freezing.
  • Keep Your Heat On — The temperature in your house should never drop below 13 degrees Celsius. Even if you go out of town and aren’t home for an extended period of time, keeping your heat on to maintain a warm house in the winter is one of the best ways to prevent frozen pipes.
  • Keep Cabinet Doors Open — Having the doors for the cabinet under your kitchen sink and the bathroom vanities open allows heat to better reach your pipes which can be a gamechanger on especially cold nights.
  • Keep Heat Tape On the Pipes — You can leave heat tape wrapped around your pipes all the time and then plug it in when cold weather hits.
  • Insulate the Pipes — Foam insulation wrapped around your pipes can provide a nice layer of protection. However, while insulation slows the heat escaping, it cannot fully stop your pipes from freezing if it’s too cold.
  • Protect Outdoor Faucets — If you have a garden hose, it should be removed from the outdoor faucet. You can then place a faucet cover over your outdoor faucet to protect it from frost.
  • Seal Cracks — Carefully check your pipes for leaks and cracks. If you do find some, seal these cracks with caulk to keep cold air from entering the pipe.

What to do if Your Pipes Freeze?

Pipes typically freeze when the temperature outside drops into the negatives and when it stays below freezing for multiple days. If your pipes are located in an outside wall, under a sink that is near an outside wall, near outdoor faucets (hose bibs), or in an unheated basement or crawl space, they are more likely to freeze. Thawing frozen pipes needs to be done immediately so as to prevent them from bursting.

FAQ

FAQ

A main sewer line blockage can cause water to backup in random places. For instance, you run your washing machine and notice your sink overflowing – this can be a clear sign that you have a clogged drain line.

If you have ruled out a potential sewer drain clog, you can rinse your sewer drain by flushing it with water. When you flush your lines, try adding a bit of drain cleaner to the water. A great place to flush your sewer line is the toilet – a larger amount of water and drain cleaner can enter your system quickly and easily. Unfortunately, if you do this when you have a clog, it can cause backup and potential flooding – if this is the case, clear the clog first.

You should generally know if your sewer line is blocked with slow drainage. The purpose of the sewer line is to take all the water drainage away from your house via sinks, bathtubs or toilets – if you find that there is slower drainage in one drain then you can essentially clear that yourself using a drain snake or a plunger.

There is confusion regarding when you are responsible for sewer line repair. While some may believe that the homeowner is only responsible for repairing the part of the line that’s on their property, this is not the case. Sewer lines consist of multiple sections, the upper lateral, lower lateral and the main line. The city is only responsible for repairing the main sewer line.

If issues with the main sewer line cause damage to your lower lateral, which is most likely where the damage would generally first start – the city would repair this damage when they work on the main sewer line. Unfortunately, if there is backup and flooding on your property from the main sewer line, then the city would not be responsible. It is best to follow up with the city to see if they will repair any damage in these cases.

Unpleasant smells coming from your drains is indicative of sewer line issues and damage. You should always take these types of smells seriously as it could be toxic fumes slowly releasing from the sewer below into your home.

There are a number of ways to clear a slow drain using products found around the home:

Bent Wire – If you do not have a drain snake, you can try using a stiff wire – like one from a clothes hanger, leaving the hook to enter pipes and pull out any clogs. Try to make sure you don’t push debris further into the pipe.

Homemade Flush – Mixing baking soda and vinegar can dissolve any materials that are potentially clogging your drain pipes. This is a good and much safer alternative to store-bought chemical cleaners.

Toilet Plunger – Like plunging a toilet, you can try using this on your drains. Using a plunger on your drains can help get things moving by using suction. This should be enough to fix any mild blockages.

Aged drain pipes are at risk for corrosion which can lead to breaks. Summit Drain has both the technology and expertise to fix this if necessary.

Yes. Drain pipes are durable, but not meant to last forever. If you live in an older home in Ottawa, most likely the pipes are made from copper and can collapse in this day and age.

When it comes to a collapsed drain, call Summit Drain. We use trenchless technology to replace sewer pipes made from original materials without ruining your property.

Rock salt
Rock salt helps by removing moisture from the roots, which in turn kills them. Two lbs should do the trick, pour 1 down the toilet. Flush until gone. And repeat with the next. Then leave for 12 hours and don’t run any water.


Foaming root killers
Another effective way to treat roots in pipes is with foaming root killers. Pour powder into toilet and flush. It will foam upon contact with water. Not only does it help dissolve current roots, but also helps to protect against future ones.


Copper sulfate
Copper sulfate is another good option. Available at most hardware stores, pour roughly half a cup into toilet and flush until gone. Leave the home and take all pets and family members along. This is a toxic substance and banned in some places.


Should I replace old pipes?
There does come a time where it makes sense to replace your pipes. Over time they crack and corrode. It is recommended to begin routine inspections once your home reaches 50 years in age. For plumbing Services in and around the Ottawa area, nobody does it like Summit Drain.

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