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5 Tips On What To Do If Your Pipes Freeze

What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze

SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T DO YOURSELF

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Cold winter temperatures can cause water supply pipes to freeze and burst. While plumbers often offer advice on how to avoid frozen pipes, they don’t always explain what to do if your pipes are frozen. Here are several immediate steps you can take to help minimize damage from frozen pipes and prevent them from bursting.

What to Do if Your Pipes Are Frozen

Shut off the water main leading into the building.
Open any faucets connected to frozen pipes to relieve pressure. Faucets should be open but not fully open.
If frozen pipes are exposed and visible, use a hair dryer or space heater to thaw ice blockages. Do not use an open flame. Keep space heaters far enough away from walls and flammable materials to avoid fire risk!
Contact a professional plumber equipped with pipe-thawing equipment to get your pipes flowing again and, if necessary, repair damaged pipes. Even if you see no evidence of leaks, plumbers should examine pipes that experienced a hard freeze. Pipes may need replacing due to stretching and fatigue, which increases the risk of future failure.

Should you shut your water off if your pipes freeze?

Shut off the water main when you suspect you have frozen pipes. Doing so prevents additional water from entering the pipe, freezing, and increasing pressure on the pipe’s sides. Shutting off the water supply minimizes the risk of burst pipes and is particularly important if you are away from home.

Should you open faucets if pipes are frozen?

Opening faucets reduces pressure within frozen pipes. If the pipe bursts, open faucets also minimize flooding, providing an outlet for water in addition to the damaged pipe.

How to Keep Pipes from Freezing

Preventing frozen pipes is, of course, the best defense against ice blockages. Take the following steps:

Winterize your outdoor pipes. A burst pipe along the outside of a building can still cause indoor damage.
Insulate all pipes in cold or exposed areas. Preparing your pipes for winter dramatically reduces the risk of freezing.
Seal air leaks around windows, doors, dryer vents, pipes, and electrical outlets.
Keep the thermostat to at least 55° F day and night.
Open kitchen and cabinet bathrooms to circulate warm air around pipes.
Open cabinets beneath kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warm air to reach pipes.
Allow all faucets, warm and cold, to trickle when outside temperatures are below freezing to lessen the chance of a pipe freeze. Keep drains open to prevent overflows.
If your home is equipped with indoor shutoff valves connected to outdoor faucets, close the indoor valves, then open the outdoor faucets to drain all water from the pipes. Leave the outdoor faucet open then cover with an insulation kit.

At what temperature do pipes freeze?

Uninsulated pipes can technically freeze at 32°F, but may not experience a hard freeze until temperatures drop below 21°F. Insulated pipes are less likely to freeze and burst but can freeze if temperatures drop below 20°F.

How long does it take pipes to freeze?

Pipes can freeze in as little as six to eight hours, depending on the following factors:

Insulated pipes take longer to freeze.
Pipes in unheated or outdoor locations have a greater risk of freezing and bursting.
The speed with which the temperature drops impacts how long it takes pipes to freeze.
Wind chill can hasten the freezing process in exposed outdoor pipes.

Will frozen pipes thaw on their own?

Yes, frozen pipes will thaw when the temperature rises, but that doesn’t mean they won’t burst or sustain damage that could cause them to fail later. Turn off the water supply and open faucets to relive pressure and minimize the risk of pipe damage.

How long does it take for pipes to unfreeze?

Left alone, frozen pipes will eventually thaw, but the amount of time it takes depends on the surrounding temperature. If temperatures remain only a few degrees above freezing, it could take several hours for the pipe to thaw.

Trust Roto-Rooter to Deal with Your Frozen Pipes

When frozen pipes burst, they can spew water inside walls and beneath floors. Contact your local Roto-Rooter plumber when you suspect a pipe has frozen. Most locations are equipped with tools for thawing and repairing frozen or burst pipes. Many Roto-Rooter locations also offer water damage cleanup services if your property experiences any degree of flooding.