Preventing and Thawing Pipes | Frozen Pipes Repair Ardmore

One of the worst plumbing disasters is a frozen pipe in Ardmore. If your pipes freeze, you can experience significant damage. You should always take measures to prevent the need for frozen pipes repair. Additionally, you should know what to do to thaw out your pipes in the event of an emergency.

Insulate Your Pipes

The best way to save money on a plumbing repair is to insulate your pipes. If you have any plumbing that’s exposed to low temperatures, you should be proactive. There are several ways in which you can insulate your pipes to keep the temperature high enough.

One of the easiest ways to insulate your pipes is to use pipe covers. If you head to your hardware store, you should be able to find pipe covers. They slip over your pipes and keep them warm, as long as it doesn’t get too cold. Spray foam insulation is another option but should be used with care. It can get messy if you’re not familiar with the material.

Keep Your Heater Running

If you go on vacation in the winter, you may want to save money and turn off your HVAC system. Unfortunately, doing this will actually cost you money. The temperature outside could plummet and cause the temperature inside your home to drop. Then, your plumbing is likely to freeze over. With no one home to run the water, your home is in danger of damage from a frozen pipe.

To avoid this issue, keep your HVAC set to about 65 degrees. At this temperature, your HVAC won’t waste too much energy but it will still prevent water from freezing in your pipes. Smart thermostats make it easy to set and control your heater, regardless of your location. If you forget to set your thermostat before you leave for vacation, you can do so at any time from an app on your phone.

Turn the Water On

When most plumbing disasters strike, the answer is to turn off your water. But, in the case of a frozen pipe, you should turn on all of your faucets. No water will come out of the pipe that’s frozen.

This is the best way to find out which one of your pipes is frozen. In some cases, you might have multiple frozen pipes. When you do this test, turn on both the hot and cold faucets. The moving and heated water may gently thaw the ice, which could resolve your issue.

Be Gentle

There are a few other methods you can use to warm your pipes, but you should be cautious. If you work too quickly or use too much heat, you may make the problem worse. Pipes under the kitchen and bathroom sink can be thawed with a space heater. First, open the cabinets and then safely position the heater. Just be sure not to run any water near the heater or electric cord.

You can also use a heat lamp, blow dryer, or electric heating tape to warm your pipes. For the best results, start with the pipes closest to the faucet. Starting away from the faucet could result in ice melting and getting trapped by the frozen water. Don’t use too much heat, or you risk damaging the pipes.

Whatever you do, resist the urge to grab a blow torch or any other tool that uses fire. As you might expect, this is a serious fire hazard. In addition to damaging your pipes, you could set fire to your home or burn yourself.

Turn Off Your Water and Call an Expert

Fixing a frozen pipe is about more than thawing the pipe. When a pipe freezes, it could experience damage. Any water that runs through your plumbing could escape through a leak and cause damage to your home. Therefore, you should shut off your water and call a plumber. Even if you think you successfully thawed your pipes, you should have a plumber check for leaks.

Turning off the water is as simple as finding the main shut off line. Usually, the shut off is near the water meter. However, it could be in another place. You should be aware of the shut off long before you experience a plumbing emergency. By turning off the water, you can prevent hundreds of dollars in water damage.

In the event that you don’t want to risk thawing the pipes yourself, you can just call a plumber from the start. With emergency plumbing services, you can have a plumber get to your home quickly and assess the damage. Your quick actions can make all the difference.

FAQ: What is the best way to thaw frozen water pipes?

When a homeowner notices a frozen pipe, their first thought may be to melt the pipe with heat. However, this could do damage to your plumbing and result in a need for burst pipe repair. As soon as you find a frozen water pipe, call for emergency plumbing repair in Ardmore. Then, see if gently warming your pipes helps. When the professionals show up, they can safely thaw out your pipes and restore your water.

How do I keep my pipes from freezing and busting?

To avoid the need for plumbing repair services, you should always keep your home above a freezing temperature. The pipes that are exposed to the cold should have proper insulation. If you ask a reputable pipe installation services company for advice, they can tell you how to protect your plumbing from the cold.

What is the minimum temperature to keep pipes from freezing?

Even though freezing temperatures are in the 30s and lower, you want to keep your pipes warmer than that. The best and safest temperature for your pipes is around 60 degrees. At this temperature, you don’t need to worry about cold air getting to your pipes and freezing the water. You can prevent the need for a repair.