Things To Do When Your Pipe Is Frozen
Frozen pipes are becoming more common nowadays because of colder winters. Because there is the possibility that it will continue to grow colder, we can experience more frozen pipes if we do not take steps to rectify it. This usually occur on homes which were not prepared for the winter, thereby leading to frozen pipes. In case that you have some frozen pipes, it would be best if you know something further about it. Water expands when it is frozen, therefore you may actually have a burst pipe already. So when the frozen water finally thaws out, it may result in flooding due to the broken pipe. Read on to know about some ways you can deal with frozen pipes.
To start with, it is important for you to determine the extent of the problem. The first sign you should be wary of is the decrease in the pressure on the water coming out of your faucet during winter. This may happen because the water is already crystallizing and may have already frozen in certain sections of your pipes. To make sure you are able to resolve this, you have to turn on both hot and cold water in your faucet. This will help a lot to keep your pipes from freezing completely. You also need to make sure which specific faucets are affected to know how best to resolve it. Multiple sections may have frozen, which may affect different sections of your home. We tell our clients about this all the time in our San Diego plumbing company.
And then you should know where you main water valve is and to turn it off completely. This is done when you know where the frozen pipes are located. You do this to avoid any flooding when your pipe has been thawed completely. You would have to ensure that the pipe that you are thawing out has an open faucet. You have to make sure about this always, because as you are thawing your pipes, there will be gases which are escaping which can result in an explosion within the pipes. This is an easy thing to do that we tell our clients of our plumbing Rancho Santa Fe office.
Last but not least, you can assist your pipes by thawing them out to make it faster. It would definitely help you a lot if you have these tools to help you with: hair dryer, hot water, heat tape, heat lamp, a space heater or warm towels. It is not advisable that you utilize a blow torch, as it may result in further damage. Whatever tool you will be using, make sure that you use it properly to ensure good results. This another simple step we tell our clients to do in our Coronado plumber office.
There you have the steps that is very helpful when resolving frozen pipes. But you always have the option of contracting a professional plumber in case you don’t have the time to do it yourself.
