What to Do About Frozen Water Pipes

Frozen but not broken pipes…

With the subzero temperatures this day’s, frozen water pipes are common occurrence. When most people think of frozen water pipes in their homes, they automatically think broken pipes, soaked carpets, carpet padding, walls and overall a huge mess… requiring the attention of certified water damage restoration specialists in Illinois.
 
Very often a frozen pipe doesn’t necessarily become a broken pipe. Some of might have had experienced it: You go into a bathroom, during a really cold day (like now), turn on the faucet and nothing comes out or only a trickle dribbles into the sink.
 
This is nuisance must be addressed quickly, before the pipe actually breaks and creates a much larger problem.
 

What to Do About Frozen Water Pipes?


To prevent this from happening is the best course of action. Here are some things you can do when temperatures dip well below freezing:
 

  1. If you have water supply pipes in the walls or ceiling of your garage keep garage doors closed. Frozen pipes occur especially when a bathroom is next to or above a garage. As soon as you pull into the garage, immediately shut the garage door, so the heat from the engine can help warm the garage.
  2. When at home and outside temperature get to subzero, open kitchen and bathroom cabinets to allow warmer air to flow among the pipes. If you feel it might freeze, allow a slow trickle of water to run in each faucet.
  3. Control the temperature in your home, especially when leaving for a couple of days. Some of us will set the temperature low to save money, but keep your home’s heat at minimum of 60°F or higher. Investing and installing a smart thermostat will not only let you monitor and control your home’s temperature from your Smartphone, PC or tablet while traveling, but it will also allow you to take control of the temperature in your home.

 But in the unfortunate event of a frozen pipe does happen, what do you do?

At that point your only recourse is to thaw it. This daunting task might take time. First, warm up your house, then use safe heat source, such as a hair dryer or heat gun, to warm up the area where the frozen pipe is located. Under no circumstances should you use a blowtorch, kerosene or other heat source fired by fuel, and please don’t use open flames. If you can’t determine where the frozen pipe is, call a local plumbing company to help.
 
Of course, if the worst happens and a pipe does break, call Wiz Team, Inc. your true water damage restoration specialists.