Frozen Pipes

It’s that time of year when both you and your pipes are freezing. It’s never fun dealing with frozen pipes, so it’s crucial that you know how to prevent them. Here are Superior Tool’s® tips on how to keep your lines from freezing and how to thaw them if they do.

Protect Your Pipes

Knowing what pipes are more likely to freeze can help you better prepare to ensure they don’t. Pipes exposed to extreme cold (such as outdoor hose bibs or sprinkler lines) are susceptible to damage. Water supply pipes in basements, kitchen cabinets, garages, and attics tend to be unheated, and pipes in exterior walls with no insulation are more likely to freeze.

The first precaution is to add insulation to areas that might be affected by extreme weather. This will maintain the warmth needed to keep your water flowing. You should also open up your kitchen or bathroom cabinets to allow warm air to circulate underneath your sink. Additionally, turning your sinks and other water supply into a trickle will enable a steady flow of water to move so it won’t freeze.

Frozen Pipe Prevention

For outdoor lines, you can cover the spouts with pipe sleeves from hardware stores or towels and rubber bands to keep them insulated. There may also be water lines that are in your garage. It would be best if you left your garage doors closed to keep them warm.

Managing the temperature of your house is the most important. Setting the same temperature for day and night can avoid an expensive repair job. If you have plans to be away from your home during a cold spell, set your thermostat to a temperature no lower than 55º F.

How to Thaw Your Pipes

Sometimes despite your best efforts, your pipes freeze anyway. Thawing your pipes incorrectly can cause more damage than there already is. You can apply heat to the pipe using a hair dryer, space heater, or heating pad. Never use a blowtorch, propane heater, or any other open flame. Do not stop applying heat until full water pressure is achieved. If you cannot find the source of the frozen pipe or get it to thaw, please call a licensed plumber. You should also check other water sources in your home to see if there are more frozen pipes. It’s likely that multiple pipes are frozen throughout your home. Remember: if you’re unsure, call a plumber!

Learn More

We hope this educated you on preventing frozen pipes and what to do if you encounter them. Superior Tool can make your next plumbing job easier. Check out our plumbing essentials at superiortool.com. Purchase any of our professional tools at hardware stores nationwide.

Superior Tool® – “Make it Happen™.”