How to Unfreeze Your Pipes
Anyone who lives in Minnesota knows that our winters can be brutal. While you can crank up your heat and bundle up to keep warm, the same can’t be said for your pipes. The frigid temperatures can easily leave you with frozen pipes that run the risk of bursting.
If you find yourself with frozen pipes this winter, here are a few things you can do to unfreeze your pipes and avoid a plumbing disaster.
Finding a Frozen Pipe
One of the tell-tale signs of a frozen pipe is a lack of water coming from your faucet — that usually means ice is causing a blockage in your pipe. The most common areas for a pipe to freeze is in your basement, attic, or crawlspace (uninsulated areas), near cold air vents, or outside.
How to Unfreeze Your Pipes
Let the Water Run
Allow cold water to trickle from your faucet since moving water has less of a chance of freezing. If the pipe is frozen, the running water can also help thaw the ice that causing a blockage.
Use a Hairdryer
This works better if the frozen pipe is an exposed one. Use the heat from your blowdryer to melt the ice that’s inside the pipe — just make sure to move the hairdryer around rather than keep it still on the pipe.
Turn Up the Thermostat
Sometimes pipes freeze because your home isn’t warm enough to keep them thawed. When the temperatures outside drop, increase your thermostat a few degrees so the heat circulates around your walled-in pipes to help unfreeze them.
Use a Heat Lamp
If the frozen pipe is inside a wall, use an infrared heat lamp to melt it. Aim the lamp at the wall so the heat can pass through the drywall and thaw the pipe.
For all your water treatment and plumbing needs in Minnesota, trust the experts at Aquarius!
