Frozen! What you Need to do in the Event your Pipes Freeze

As cold weather once again sweeps across the nation, it’s time to ensure our homes are weatherized. One of the most overlooked details of this crucial process is to ensure pipes are guarded against the possibility of freezing. If you’re pipes freeze, it’s important to know what to do to best ensure you don’t end up with a costly restoration process.

Know Who to Contact for Help

Frozen pipes can occur when you least expect it, and it may not be during a very accommodating time. It’s important to know who to contact for the quick and reliable services you need. Providers such as Bishop Plumbing, Heating and Cooling are there to offer 24-hour services. Ensure you have their phone number handy during the winter season.

Don’t use Torch Flame

It may seem logical to use a torch flame as you wait for help to arrive to quickly reverse the freezing effects of the weather on your pipes. However, it can cause more damage than actually helping your frozen pipe situation. This is the most common pipe-thawing home fire cause, and you could end up losing so much more in the process.

Seek out the Problem Area

It can be helpful to identify the area of concern so it can quickly be addressed when help arrives. Check any and all bathrooms, your laundry room, and your kitchen. You will also want to check around the area of your hot water heater. Don’t forget to check outside of your home too. Basically you will want to look for any problem areas that are around plumbing or that you have access to pipes. When you find the frozen water supply pipe, follow it to see if it runs through cold areas like an outdoor wall.

Turn up the Heat

Turning up the heat in the home will obviously aid in the thawing process. You can increase the effectiveness of this effort by employing the use of infrared lamps. Place them nearby the pipe you have identified as being frozen. Infrared is more efficient as it doesn’t waste energy heating the air as it’s applied, allowing you to more quickly heat the pipe. Another effective method is to use a high-powered hair dryer. You can also turn on your stove to provide heat to the pipes in your kitchen should that be a problem area. Simply turn it on and point at the frozen pipe. For all these methods, make sure you open the faucet.

Electric Heat Tape

You can take your efforts one step further by wrapping the impacted pipe in electric heat tape. This tape contains electrical heating elements. You simply plug it in the wall, and it gets to work heating the pipes.

The Right Steps are Crucial

Frozen pipes are serious business, and it’s crucial that you take the necessary steps to thaw them correctly to avoid ending up with a substantial bill for restoration. By following these tips, you can get your pipes back on track.

Frozen pipes can be a tricky thing to handle. Make sure you have a professional come and help you take care of this problem or the results could be catastrophic to your home.