Tips for Homeowners in Point Pleasant to Thaw Frozen Pipes

2/1/2021 (Permalink)

Follow these tips if your pipes have ALREADY frozen over.

Temperatures are expected to drop in Point Pleasant over the next 10 days to below freezing most nights. What does that mean for the pipes in our home that exposed to these cold temperatures? The water in a vulnerable pipe may freeze and expand, causing the pipe to rupture. Hours or days later, when the ice finally abates, the freely flowing water can pour out of the compromised pipe into your home.

Luckily not every frozen pipe will bursts open and leak water into your home but time is always a factor. Follow these tips by Bob Vila to thaw your frozen pipes:

1. Locate the frozen pipe, which is sometimes harder than it sounds.
2. Open the faucets.
3. Turn off the main water supply line.
4. Apply heat to the frozen pipe. To do so, homeowners typically use such things as hair dryers, heat lamps, and heating pads.  Remember that it’s best to begin heating near the edge of the frozen area, on the side closest to the nearest kitchen or bathroom. That way, any steam or water generated by the heating can escape the pipe. Continue heating, inching along the frozen pipe one section at a time.
5. Once you are confident the freeze has melted, close the faucets and return to the main water supply valve and turn it on, partially. Then go back to the pipe and inspect it for leaks.

Hopefully you found your frozen pipe before it burst. If you were not lucky enough to find it before it burst, SERVPRO of Point Pleasant has years of experience in water damage cleanup. Call us 24/7 at 732-301-2002 for any size water damage emergency.