Frozen Pipes Cause Surprise Midday Showers:
Panic. You arise and turn on the water in your
bathroom and nothing happens. The bitter cold
overnight weather has frozen yet another pipe.
Immediately check all other water faucets,
trying to locate any other frozen pipes. The
chance finding of a frozen pipe will usually
jolt most homeowners into action. More aware
homeowners will systematically check all their
faucets after a particularly cold night.
Unfortunately most frozen pipes are not detected
until it's too late! Undetected frozen pipes in
the morning can cause a midafternoon shower as
they thaw in the warmer afternoon weather. Avoid
unnecessary damages with a simple morning
checkout.
Be aware that the hot water lines in houses tend
to freeze first so allow them (and cold taps
too) to drip overnight as a measure of
protection. Occasionally you will be lucky
enough to catch a "slush freeze" or partially
frozen pipe. A fully open faucet will merely
drip or produce a trickle of water. Immediately
take steps to prevent the slush from solidifying
and likely splitting or bursting the pipe. Leave
the affected faucet fully open. Open the other
hot water faucets in the house to get the pipe
temperature up as hot water makes its way
through the house. Once a flow of hot water
reaches the faucets, close them to a trickle
flow. With luck the near frozen section will
thaw and the dripping will increase to a trickle
and the trickle to a full flow. Make a mental
note to add protection to this now known
vulnerable pipe or expect it to freeze sometime
in the future.
If no faucet in the house produces water, the
freeze is most likely outside the house.
Curbside water meters in shallow pits, less than
the local frost line, are vulnerable and should
be protected with insulation. Call the water
authority since they have control over the
secured pit cover. They will usually insert a
wad of newsprint and light it to thaw the
meter.
When a single faucet produces no water, a
household pipe is frozen solid and may very
likely be burst or split. Shut off the house's
main water valve to prevent water damage when
the freeze thaws.
Don't tackle frozen pipes yourself unless you
really know what you are doing. Here is the
information everyone should understand.
Only experienced plumbers should deal with
frozen pipes inside walls, ceilings or other
inaccessible areas. Most homeowners should not
use a propane torch but can employ a number of
other safer methods.
Pinpoint the freeze within accessible pipes by
running a damp rag or sponge along it. The
frozen area will frost over.
The "heat tape" and insulation method of thawing
pipes is probably the safest and the best
method. Heat tapes are plastic strip with
electrically warmed wires inside. This method
works gently (isn't dangerous), provides
followup protection for the pipe, and doesn't
cost much (generally less than $20.) Buy a roll
of 3 1/2 inch foil faced fiberglass blanket
insulation, a length of thermostatically
controlled heat tape and a roll of duct tape.
Place the heat tape along the pipe and secure
the insulation around both with duct tape. Then
plug in the heat tape.
The next simplest, but less reliable, method of
thawing pipes is using a hot air hair dryer.
Again shut off the main water supply, locate the
freeze and slowly move the dryer along the
frozen section. Be patient!
An effective but messy option is to apply hot
wet rags to the frozen section. Pour heated
water in a bucket and then soak old rags or
towels in the water and wrap them around the
pipe. The wet cloth will lose its heat rapidly.
Be prepared with several rags or towels so that
you can maintain a warm source. Use rubber
gloves and protect adjacent areas from the
dripping water. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD NEAR ANY
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
The professionals normally use the propane torch
method. Only very experienced homeowners should
attempt this method. Intense heat applied to
trapped water is dangerous. Frozen pipes can
explode if steam created by the heat has no
escape route. Anyone using a torch must
understand that work on frozen sections of pipe
must proceed backward from the open faucet. Heat
the water between the tap and the freeze,
gradually working the heat into the freeze
itself. This allows steam to escape out the open
tap. Even professionals sometimes start fires
using this torch method. Freezes are often
located in difficult locations and right next to
combustibles. If anyone uses a torch, make
certain that a fire extinguisher or a water hose
is immediately available. DO NOT use a torch on
plastic pipe. DO NOT heat the pipe so hot that
you can't touch it with your bare hand. DO NOT
concentrate the heat on one spot, instead
continually move the torch along the pipe from
the water into the freeze itself.
Once a thaw is complete turn the main water
valve open slightly. Immediately check the
thawed section for leakage. If none exists, open
the valve fully.
Temporary repairs to split, cracked or burst
pipes can sometimes be made with "sleeve
clamps." These devices come in two pieces and
contain a flexible gasket between the pieces.
Place the gasket over the split section and
screw the two halves tightly together. Buy
sleeve clamps at most hardware stores. Be
prepared to tell the salesman what type
(plastic, copper, or steel) and diameter of pipe
you are working with.
The demand of frozen pipes will far exceed the
supply of available repair plumbers for morning
repairs. Your efforts can prevent damage to your
house and can restore your water supply.