How To Unfreeze Pipes in the Winter

Turn to Babe Plumbing if your Mankato home's water pipes are suffering from the winter chill. Request an appointment with us today!

Minnesota winters often include lots of cold days. Once temperatures drop outside, your main focus at home is likely keeping all rooms warm and cozy. Unfortunately, the warmth your furnace emits might not be enough to keep your pipes from freezing. 

Frozen plumbing can cause significant problems for your home and plumbing system. That's why knowing how to unfreeze pipes in the winter is essential. 

If your pipes are frozen, you're going to need help from Babe Plumbing and our professional plumbers in Mankato, MN. Taking the right actions immediately can save your plumbing system from preventable complications and help you avoid costly water damage from burst pipes. Learn more about the dangers of frozen plumbing and what you can do to thaw pipes. 

Why Frozen Pipes Are a Problem

The water flowing through your home's plastic or metal pipes can freeze if the temperatures outside are below freezing. As water freezes, it will expand into ice. When that happens inside a pipe, the pressure from the ice can cause the pipe to tear or burst. 

A burst pipe can cause substantial water damage to a home. Even if the pipe doesn't immediately burst from a freeze, the ice inside the plumbing will restrict water flow, resulting in low water pressure.

There's also an increased risk of more ice forming if water runs through an already frozen pipe. In that case, it may only be a matter of time before the pipe bursts and causes a flood inside your house. Still, knowing how to unfreeze pipes in the winter can help you avoid a catastrophe. 

How To Thaw a Frozen Pipe Safely

A common sign of a frozen pipe is a slow trickle of water coming from a tap. The sudden decrease in water pressure could indicate an ice blockage.

If you suspect your home has one or more frozen pipes, find a hair dryer or a space heater. Then, follow these steps. 

Run Your Faucets

Turn on a faucet that connects to the pipe you suspect contains ice. For example, if the kitchen sink's water pressure is low, let that sink's faucet run. 

When water settles inside a pipe under freezing temperatures, ice can form inside the plumbing. However, it's harder for moving water to freeze. By running the tap, you can relieve pressure from inside the frozen pipe and prevent it from bursting. 

Apply Heat to the Affected Pipe

To unfreeze a pipe safely, you'll need an external heat source to warm the affected plumbing. You can do this by holding a blow dryer to an exposed pipe on its highest heat setting. Use the blow dryer starting from the faucet end of the pipe before slowly moving toward the colder sections.

You could also turn on a space heater to provide continuous warmth to the affected areas. Don't stop providing heat to the pipe until you restore the water pressure.

Controlled heat tape may work as well. Use the tape by wrapping it around the frozen pipe and plug it into an outlet. Remove the tape when the pipe thaws to reduce the risk of a fire. 

You don't want to use anything that produces excessive temperatures or a flame, like a propane torch or candle. Those types of heat sources could lead to a fire or damage plastic pipes.

Check the Rest of Your Plumbing

It can take about 30 minutes to unfreeze a pipe. However, your thawing method and the temperatures outdoors can make the process longer or shorter. 

Once the pipe starts thawing, check the rest of your home for frozen pipes. If one water pipe freezes, others could as well. 

What To Do If the Pipes Burst

If a pipe bursts before you can successfully unfreeze it, you must act fast to mitigate damages. The first thing you should do is shut off the main water supply. Taking that step will stop the water from continuing to flood your home. 

Next, turn off the electricity to the flooded part of your house. This step is essential to prevent electrocution or electric shocks if the water touches electrical devices, outlets, or switches. 

Finally, contact an experienced plumber. You can't repair or replace the damaged pipe alone. Instead of attempting the repairs yourself, call the experts and start cleaning up the mess while you wait for their arrival.

Try to soak up as much of the water as you can. It only takes about 24 to 48 hours for mold to grow after a flood. Towels and a wet/dry vacuum can handle minor floods. Still, you might need a water damage restoration company's help if the water damage is substantial. 

You could let your pipes thaw naturally without an external heat source if your pipes freeze. However, this could take a long time. It also won't eliminate the risk of a burst pipe. 

Regular plumbing inspections can help you prevent frozen and burst pipes in the first place. An expert plumber can identify potential risks and advise you on the best ways to protect your home from water damage.

Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing With These Tips

Though you should know how to unfreeze pipes in the winter, it also helps to know how to keep pipes from freezing in the first place. Here are some prevention tips to consider:

• Keep your home's temperature above freezing at all times, even when traveling for the winter. 
• Turn off the water in your house when traveling. 
• Insulate water pipes near exterior walls using foam rubber or heating tape. 
• Let all faucets drip water on cold days while you're home since it's harder for trickling water to freeze inside a pipe. 

Keep Your Pipes in Great Condition With Babe Plumbing

Whether you need to know how to unfreeze pipes in the winter or want to learn more about the type of pipes used for gas lines, you can get the help you need from Babe Plumbing. As one of Mankato, Minnesota's top plumbing companies, our crew can handle any plumbing problem. 

Our team strives to provide effective plumbing solutions for any budget. Call (507) 418-8387 today to discuss your plumbing needs with our Babe Plumbing team.