What to Do when Your Pipes Freeze

If you are reading this article, more than likely your pipes are frozen. It is a very frustrating experience indeed to get out of bed, go into the kitchen and turn on the water, to make that all important first pot of coffee, and all you get is a tiny trickle followed by a hissing sound and then, nothing! I have been there before myself! So, what do you do when your pipes are frozen? I will tell you how my husband and I have fixed this situation in the past without experiencing a lot of busted pipes, that are extremely expensive to have replaced.

The first thing to do is open the faucet that is closest to where the water source enters the house. Starting at this point, using a blow dryer apply heat on a small section at a time, no more than a two foot length of pipe. Sweeping the flow of air continually up and down the length of pipe. This is a slow process and may take quite a while. Go to the open faucet after heating each section to check to see if the frozen section has been thawed and the water flowing freely. If it is not, use the blow dryer on the next 2 foot length of pipe, working backward toward the place where the water source joins the meter. Once the pipe has been thawed, leave the faucet running at a trickle to prevent the pipes from freezing again.

Another method to thaw your pipes when they freeze is to use charcoal. This method should only be used if your pipes are not around any combustible materials. Open the faucet, that is closest to where the water source enters the house. Get the charcoal started as you normally would for cooking. Once all of the starter fluid has burned off and the charcoal is no longer flaming, scoop up the hot coals with a metal shovel and place evenly underneath the entire length of the frozen pipe. Once the water is flowing from the open faucet, your pipes are thawed. If any of the coals are still burning, put them out. Never leave burning coals unattended.

The final method is the most expensive. This method will prevent your pipes from freezing, as well as thaw your pipes if they are already frozen. A self regulating pipe heating system can be purchased at your local hardware store with prices starting at $50.00 and up. The heating tape is sold separately, pricing depends upon how many feet of tape is needed. The system plugs into a 110 electrical wall socket and regulates the temperature of the pipes to keep them warm enough so that they won't freeze. If they are already frozen, this will gently warm them enough to melt the ice, without damaging the pipes.