Common plumbing problems homeowners experience during the winter involve frozen pipes. Most frozen water pipes occur in areas where the pipes are not properly insulated, such as the garage, crawl spaces and non-insulated outside walls. This can cost thousands of dollars in damage if not caught in time. Fortunately, your 1-Tom-Plumber team is ready to assist in frozen pipe emergencies.
How do you know if you have this problem?
One of the most effective ways to determine if you have frozen pipes is to turn on the hot and cold water at the sink and note the water flow. If there is little or no water flowing from the tap, chances are the pipes are frozen. If you suspect this, shut off the main water valve to reduce pressure on the pipes, then give us a call immediately.
What can we do to help?
Using an electric pipe thawing machine is one of the ways we can quickly and safely repair frozen pipes and get them working like new again. With these machines, only a thin layer of ice inside the pipe needs to be melted in order to allow sufficient water flow to resume. Depending on the amount of pipe that’s frozen, it can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes to get everything thawed out. For homes with older copper pipes, it may take as much as one hour before all is clear.
Not only will we help you repair frozen pipes, but we’ll show you ways to prevent the problem from happening again. For example, here are some ideas for pipes that regularly freeze over:
- Make sure the heat is no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit
- Open all cabinet doors under sinks in your bathroom and kitchen to allow heat to reach the pipes inside.
- Let a small trickle of water drip from your faucets to keep the lines open
- Insulate all exposed pipes, or wrap them in heat tape
By following these tips, you can avoid the mess and inconvenience of frozen pipes. If you do find yourself with a burst pipe due to freezing temperatures, call us right away and we will dispatch a plumber to your property ASAP.