Pipe Thawing For Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are especially dangerous for your plumbing system because of how water expands as it freezes. Expanding water can put significant stress on your metal or plastic pipes, even causing them to break—regardless of the strength of your pipes. This can lead to expensive water damage inside your home. The pipes that freeze most frequently are regularly exposed to severe cold, such as outdoor hose bibs, water sprinkler lines, and swimming pool supply lines. Water lines in unheated interior places like attics, crawl spaces, garages, kitchen cabinets, or walls with little to no insulation can be especially prone to freezing as well.

Ideally, there are a few steps you can take before the onset of cold weather to prevent freezing pipes in your home. First, it is important to properly drain water from freezing-prone supply lines and to remove and drain any outdoor hoses. Inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs should be closed as well, and the hose bibs themselves should be opened and allowed to drain. And in areas such as your basement, crawl space, attic, garage, or under kitchen or bathroom cabinets, where water supply lines are located in unheated areas, hot and cold water pipes should be insulated.

Even if your best efforts to winterize your home’s plumbing system end up in frozen pipes that will only trickle water, a professional plumber can help fix your frozen pipes. The thawing process involves shutting off the water main leading into your home (to reduce pressure on frozen pipes and minimize potential flooding) and using heat to thaw the ice blockage.

Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter Inc. is your plumbing professional in the Salt Lake City, Utah region. If you need help with your frozen pipes, give us a call today at one of our conveniently located offices. We’ll come to your home or commercial building with all of the necessary equipment to take on any plumbing issues that may arise in your home. Our professionals are always friendly, honest, and experienced, and we are available Monday-Friday to take care of your unexpected plumbing emergencies.