Every year, when the coldest days of winter hit, there are thousands of people who end up with frozen water pipes. Some of the worst problems happen in areas where cold weather neither common nor expected, leaving many pipes exposed to the elements without any insulation. If you turn on your water after a very cold night and find very little to no water coming out of the faucet, there’s a good chance you have a frozen pipe.
Finding and Thawing a Frozen Water Pipe
One of the toughest issues with a frozen water pipe is determining which pipe has been affected. The first step is attempting to turn on the water in different areas of your house. If all your sinks are not working or have very low flow, you may have a frozen water main. If only one area of the house seems to be affected, a localized frozen pipe is likely the culprit.
The best places to look are areas which are exposed to cold air, such as in a crawl space or in your garage. You can try touching the pipes to feel whether they feel extremely cold. If you are able to find a pipe that is frozen, turn off the main water supply. Then. turn on the hot water faucets in the affected sinks. Often just the flow of water will thaw the pipes.
Although some frozen pipes can be thawed with running water or exposing the pipe to heat from a hair dryer or space heater, many will need a professional plumber to unthaw them safely. Heating a frozen pipe too quickly can burst a pipe, causing even more damage to your plumbing and water damage to surrounding property. It is best to let a professional find and fix your frozen pipes, ensuring the issue is resolved completely.
Bynum & Sons Plumbing, Inc.
2120 McDaniels Bridge Rd SW
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 736-8283
