What if Your Pipes Freeze

12/20/2016 (Permalink)

As we continue to have freezing weather, we must be aware that the pipes in our homes and businesses could freeze at any time. Last week, I talked about how to keep your pipes from freezing. However, we must be prepared if they do freeze.

Some ways you can tell if your pipes have frozen are…

--If you turn on a faucet and no water comes out.

--If you can see visible frost on the pipes.

When you have discovered that your pipes have frozen, you should immediately turn off the main water valve. It is important for everyone in the home to know where they shut-off valves are in your home. Once the water has been shut off, you should begin to thaw the pipes.

Ways you can do to thaw frozen pipes are…

--Wrap hot clothes or heating pads around the frozen pipes. Leave the cloth on the pipes until they have cooled, if needed repeat this step.

--Put a space heater near the frozen pipes. Ensure that the space heater does not directly touch the pipes.

--Use a blow dryer to thaw the pipes.

--DO NOT use any type of open flame to thaw the pipes, this can damage your pipes and is a fire hazard.

Once the pipes are thawed, you will want to turn the water back on to the home. It is important to inspect your pipes and ensure that the pipes did not burst. Remember, as water freezes it expands. Some pipes cannot hold up to the expanded water and crack or break. A pipe can have a very small crack in it which will slowly leak water and can cause a great deal of damage.

If you find that a pipe has cracked or burst, you will want to turn the water off to that area. Call your local plumber to have them fix or replace the broken pipe before turning the water back on. Should you have any water damage, be sure to call your local SERVPRO. We’ll be sure to get there quickly to start mitigation.