The Best Way to Prevent and Thaw frozen pipes
The season of frozen pipes is now in full swing, which means that now is the perfect time to look over some helpful advice to prevent frozen pipes and the best way to defrost frozen pipes safely. The prevention of frozen pipes is among the most effective ways to ensure your home is safe from freezing pipes. The frozen pipes can explode or flood your home and result in thousands of dollars for repairs. We don’t want this to occur to you! We want to help you understand how to avoid and remove frozen pipes. Understanding when a repair to your water pipe is needed will be beneficial in the future!
Ottawa Plumbing Service is here and ready to help with any plumbing need you have. Please give up a call on (613) 317-1682 or email us at info@ottawaplumbingservice.com.
A Comprehensive Guide to Prevent Frozen Pipes
Making sure that pipes aren’t frozen at all is crucial. Lines located in areas within your home that are not heated should be covered with insulation. The most common areas that are not heated inside your house include:
- Attics
- Cabinets in the bathroom and kitchen
- Garages
- Basements
- Crawl Spaces
You’ll not only enjoy the benefits of having a warmer house and a higher temperature and comfort, but you’ll also be able to prevent pipes from getting frozen. You can buy insulation pipe sleeves or heat tape with UL certification or even a cable for heating at a hardware shop. Follow the instructions on the box for proper installation, and you’ll be able to avoid freezing pipes. An alternative source of heating is always recommended if you experience power outages. A backup generator can be there to help!
Make sure the garage door is closed! Many of the heat (and money for energy) escapes from your home through the wide opening in your garage. It prevents pipes exposed from getting frozen. It can save lines in freezing temperatures by allowing an extremely slow drip to stay on and allow water to flow through pipes. The water moving will prevent pipes from getting frozen. Make sure to use this preventive tip in the coldest weather.
How to Thaw Frozen Pipes in Easy Steps
The freezing of pipes can be done quickly, but it is best done in a controlled manner. First, turn on the taps to water on. If the line is frozen, there is expected to be more frozen pipes that need to be thawed. An unfrozen tube is likely to reveal itself when only a little or no water flows out of the tap.
Once you have located your frozen pipes, double-check to ensure the faucet is running. Both hot and cold faucets should be on. Moving water speeds up the process of melting and also eliminates the cold water from the pipes.
To prevent frozen pipes from forming under cabinets for bathrooms and kitchens, you can remove the doors from the cabinet and then use a space heating device to melt frozen pipes. Hairdryers, hot towels heaters, and electric heating tape can be employed to defrost frozen pipes. If you’re using hot towels, a hairdryer, or electrical tape, begin close to the faucet and then move toward the blockage. It can prevent melting ice from becoming caught in the jam.
There are times when you’ll have frozen pipes behind an exterior wall or situated in an inaccessible area reach. In these instances, thawing frozen pipes will require some effort, but it’s possible. The most efficient method is to increase the temperature throughout the home and allow the lines to melt. Infrared lamps can be helpful if you know where the pipe that runs behind the wall is. Often, the heat generated by the infrared lamps will be sufficient to meet the line that is frozen within the division. In the last instance, but only if you’re at ease with it can you cut a small section of the wall to get access to the pipe.
No matter what you decide to do, do not melt frozen pipes using a blow torch or anything that has the possibility of burning. (We realize this may seem to be an obvious “no problem,” but we’ve witnessed many instances of it.) Be sure to protect your property, your pipes, and your family by taking all the precautions when dealing with a frozen pipe problem.
When Should You Repair Water Pipes?
If freezing frozen pipes are thawing and do not occur, shortly, your pipes will explode, and you’ll be aware. You must stop the main water line from home. Knowing the location of the main shut-off valve for water can be very useful. The primary shut-off valve will be located close to the water meter; however, just in case you aren’t aware of where the shut-off valve is located before the time. Call your local plumber to request water repair.
