Frozen pipes may not be your concern at this time because it’s summer. But when the winter months come and the temperature drops, you’ll surely start to get worried about your water pipes. Indeed, frozen pipes are a big concern for all of us. When the water inside the tubes freezes and expands, they can provide more than 2,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. This amount of pressure will rupture most pipes and lead to wasting hundreds of gallons of water by the hour. That would mean thousands of dollars worth of damage to your property. So if you are faced with frozen pipes, here’s a DIY guide you can use.
1. When you’ve found the frozen pipe, you have to turn on nearby faucets and let water trickle from them. You see, standing water is more likely to freeze than running water. If the problem isn’t severe, running water will thaw the pipe in approximately an hour. However, if you notice any crack or hole in the pipeline, shut the main water supply valve first off and close all faucets.
2. Now get a hair dryer. Turn it on and warm the affected pipe. Don’t just focus on one area or position the hair dryer too close to the pipe because doing so may just damage the pipe. Move the hair dryer along the tube instead. If the frozen pipe is made from metal, use a stronger tool like a heat gun.
3. Using a heat tape is another effective thawing method. You can get it from any plumbing supply shop or hardware store. Simply wrap a single layer of the tape around the pipe that froze. Afterward, plug the tape to a power source and let it warm the pipe up.
4. Making the air warm or the room where the frozen pipe is located may also be helpful. Place incandescent light bulbs or heat lamps near the affected pipe. You can also hang blankets or tarps if the room is quite small. Just do not heat the pipes directly to prevent rupture.
5. If your drain becomes frozen, you can pour a tablespoon of salt in it. You see, salt reduces the melting point of ice thus making it easier to thaw the pipe. Note that it may take a while for the salt method to take effect and show any change. But as they say, “Patience is a virtue.”
6. Last but certainly not the least, you can also wrap the affected pipe in hot towels. Wear a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands from scalding. Soak some towels in hot water and then wring them out. Afterward, wrap them around the affected pipes. Do this every 5 to 10 minutes until the problem has been fixed.
We hope that you learned how to unfreeze pipes through our blog today. To prevent accidents, just call the most reliable Lisbon plumbing contractor. Plumbers 911 Washington DC provides top-notch plumbing services in Lisbon MD including frozen pipe repair, HVAC services, leak detection, home remodeling, sub-metering, gas system installation and many more! Call us now at (877) 932-5325 to schedule a service!
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