What to Do When Your Pipes Freeze
With the winter weather unfortunately, comes frozen pipes. It happens to the best of us even when we feel like we were prepared. When our pipes freeze, it’s hard to know the correct steps to take in order to not make the situation worse. Below are a few safe steps to take when your pipes freeze, from a professional!
The first important step is to figure out if you can get water to any faucet in the house. Try turning on every water source in your house to see if any water comes out. This will help you figure out where the pipes are frozen at and how many of them are frozen. If you determine that you don’t have water anywhere in the house, locate the main incoming water line. This will either be under your house or in your basement.
Once you have located the main water line. Use some type of heating source to warm the pipe leading from the ground up to where the pipe goes into the house. DO NOT use any type of open flame. An item such as a hair dryer is the best option. While you’re doing this, have someone watching to see if water starts to come out of any faucet. This prevents sinks from overflowing and making a mess. Believe me, it happens and it’s not fun to clean up.
If you have a well, make sure you have a heating lamp or space heater in your well house. If you have a public water source, make sure the cover is in place on your water meter.
DO NOT let it thaw naturally. As soon as you know you have a frozen water line, get to it immediately. If not, IT WILL BUST!
When in doubt, call a professional! Don’t feel bad if you have to, that’s what they’re there for and it will save you money and hassle in the long run. It may even save you from having to worry about it again next winter.