What To Do When You Have Frozen Pipes
Fall is upon us and that means temperatures are starting to drop. It?s an exciting time to pull out your sweaters and start planning for the holidays, but it also means you need to keep an eye on your home?s water pipes.?
How Frozen Pipes Occur
Many homeowners neglect to take the proper precautions that can safeguard their water pipes from freezing or even bursting and that?s because they aren?t exactly sure how the freezing happens. Water pipes are most likely to freeze if they are uninsulated and if they are located by an exterior wall. When frozen pipes burst in St. Louis, MO homes, it is simply because frozen water expands and has nowhere to go within your pipes.?
How You Can Spot Frozen Pipes
There are many different signs that can indicate your home has frozen pipes. If any of these sound familiar, then you may be dealing with frozen pipes:
- Your water comes out at a trickle or at much lower pressure
- You notice a strange smell from your faucet or drain
- Your water pipe is bulging or is covered in frost
- Your toilet fails to refill after flushing
- The water in your faucets doesn?t come out at the right temperature or fails to heat up
Your Next Steps After Finding Frozen Pipes
Shut off the water supply
The very first step you should take after discovering a frozen pipe is to turn off the main water supply to that pipeline. Homeowners who fail to turn off the water to frozen pipes can end up not only with a burst pipe, but also with extensive
water damage to other areas of their house. Turning off your water supply as soon as possible can save you time and money in damages, even if it means turning off the whole house supply.
Carefully thaw frozen pipes
There are a few different tools you can utilize to help you thaw frozen pipes. These tricks work best for pipes that are exposed or pipes that you can see:
- A small space heater: this works great for bathroom or kitchen sink pipes. Set your small space heater on the floor in front of the pipes and aim it directly at the affected area.
- Electrical pipe heat tape: this heat wrap is designed to target the frozen section of any pipe. You simply wrap the pipe with the heat tape and plug it in.
- A hair dryer: If you don?t have access to any of the above options, a hair dryer will work just as well to thaw a frozen pipe. Direct the heat at the frozen pipe, but be careful not to get any moisture in the dryer.
How to thaw frozen pipes in a wall
One of the most common questions we get in regard to frozen pipes is ?can you tell me how to thaw frozen pipes in a wall??. Thawing pipes in a wall can be difficult and may require professional attention, but there are a few steps you can try before calling ABC.?
The first and easiest step is to try turning up the heat inside your home. If you pipes are barely frozen, this can often fix the issue. If that doesn?t do the trick, you can attempt to place a heat lamp by the wall where the affected pipes are located. This may take some time, so please be careful and keep an eye out so that you don?t start a fire or cause smoke damage to the wall.?
The last resort is to cut our a section of the ceiling or drywall where the frozen pipe exists and use a space heater, electrical pipe heat tape, or a hair dryer (like mentioned above). If you are unfamiliar with the tools needed to complete this job or aren;t sure where to cut, please do not attempt this method. Play it safe and give us a call at (314) 582-3611.
Learn About -
How to Perform Burst Pipe Cleanup?
Frozen pipes are a common emergency that can give you the illusion that you may not need to act fast. However, this is far from the truth. Pipe bursts can happen suddenly, even when the appropriate maintenance was done. If your home or business has recently experienced frozen or burst pipes, contact ABC Environmental Contracting Services immediately. Our fast response team will start restoring your property and getting rid of all traces of water damage. Our mitigation technicians have some of the best tools in the industry and can make quick work of water restoration projects. One call to ABC Contracting can save you both time and money. When you choose to hire ABC, you will be well on your way to having a solution to any of your restoration needs. Give us a call today at (314) 582-3611 for any and all plumbing relief services you may require!
Dan and Tina Benton are the owners of ABC Environmental Contracting Services, a veteran-owned restoration company serving the St. Louis Metro East area. Together, they bring over two decades of expertise in water damage restoration, mold remediation, and asbestos removal for both residential and commercial properties. They're committed to serving their community with integrity and dedication, providing 24/7 emergency response when disaster strikes.
