What do I do if I have a frozen pipe?

Frozen pipes are a serious concern for New England home owners. If your pipes freeze, they could burst, leaving you with thousands of dollars of damage to your home and property.

So what exactly do you do if you have a frozen pipe?

Know What To Look For

The first step is recognizing when your pipes freeze. When you turn your faucet on, does only a small trickle of water come out? Then your pipes are likely frozen.

What to Do When Your Pipes Freeze

As soon as you think your pipes are frozen, shut off the water supply to those pipes.

The real danger here isn’t the freezing, it’s the thaw. When that water that’s trapped in your pipes thaws, it will explode out of the cracks in your pipes. The frozen water is what prevents this from happening (although it’s also what caused the cracks in the first place). Once you do this, you should have a mop, bucket, and towels ready to go in case that water starts to leak.

Next, you need to thaw the frozen pipe. You can use anything you have around the house like a hair dryer, heat lamp, or space heater. You can also use heat tape to target a small spot. However, do not use a propane torch or any open flame. This is a large fire hazard.

Continue to thaw the pipe until water pressure is restored. Periodically check the faucets in your home to see if water is flowing again. This will also help you find out if any other pipes are frozen.

If you can’t find the frozen area, can’t access the frozen area, or can’t thaw the frozen pipe then it’s time to call an experienced licensed plumber, like Evolved Mechanical.