Dealing with Frozen Pipes

Consumers are lowering thermostats and turning off heat in unused rooms, more so this year than in the past due to rising fuel costs. Insurance companies have paid out more than $4 billion for claims resulting from frozen and split water lines over the past decade.

Safe methods for thawing frozen plumbing lines will help ensure you're a hero in a time of crisis. Following any of the methods outlined here will aid in your ability to quickly and safely resolve frozen pipe service calls.

Trouble Areas
The first step is identifying the areas affected. If a single faucet has stopped working, check to see if there's any flow from the hot or cold water taps. If either side shows a trickle, let the faucet run until full flow has been reestablished. Moving water will thaw the ice-dam without any additional heat being introduced. The warmer water running through one line often will radiate enough heat to thaw the other side and, once both lines are free flowing, you can set the faucet to a slight drizzle to prevent a freeze blockage overnight or until the temperature rises above freezing. Wasting a bit of water is much better than thousands of dollars in damage from ruptured lines.

If the faucet has no flow, you'll need to introduce heat to thaw the lines. Where kitchen sinks and vanities are located on outside walls, that's sometimes as easy as opening the cabinet doors and letting the colder air trapped inside the cabinet escape. Warmer room-air will then have access to the cabinet's interior. Soaked rags from a bucket filled with hot water can be applied to exposed piping anywhere there's a cold spot. Frequent changes with freshly dipped rags will speed up the thawing process.

Crawl spaces, exterior wall cavities and basement lines exposed to sub-freezing temperatures will require intervention on your part to thaw lines and restore operation.

Safe Practices
Using any type of open flame should be avoided for many reasons. Each year in the United States, there are numerous fires resulting from attempts at thawing frozen plumbing lines with open flame hand-held torches or heaters placed in close proximity to combustible materials. According to the American Red Cross, "open flames in homes present a serious fire danger, as well as a severe risk of exposure to lethal carbon monoxide. " Aside from the fire danger, using a torch or electric paint stripping gun to thaw water lines can be deadly for another reason: explosions can be caused by superheated water and rapid expansion that can rupture even rugged metal piping.

Water normally boils at 212 degrees, but when it's under pressure, the boiling point can rise to well above 300 degrees. Superheated water will flash over to steam if a sudden change in pressure occurs or its saturation temperature is reached. Water expands 1,700 times in volume when exploding from liquid to steam vapor, which can cause serious injury or death. Superheating water that's trapped between ice plugs can result in a violent rupture or split.

One of the safest tools has been the traditional hair dryer found in many bathrooms. Multiple fan speeds, robust blowers and low wattage heat settings deliver warm air that presents little danger of setting fire to nearby combustible materials. They're small enough to be worked into tight spaces where warm air can be directed into wall cavities, below cabinets or carried along under tight crawl spaces.

For faster results, employ a heat gun typically used to strip paint, but use caution due to much hotter temperatures, which can be as high as 1,000 degrees. Electric heat tapes also can be installed, but pay close attention to the instructions. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates there are about 2,000 fires, 10 deaths, and 100 injuries each year involving heat tapes. Introducing any electrical appliance into an area where thawing lines could leak, spray or suddenly separate subjects you to potential electrocution hazards: A GFCI extension cord should be used for added safety.

Another reliable method is the use of small self-contained portable heaters. Most of the ceramic-cube electric heaters include safety shut off devices and thermostatic controls, which enhance safety. Gas-fired infrared and construction heaters have a direct-flame high-Btu-output, but CO (carbon monoxide) issues indicate these should not be used in any environment where CO can pose a danger.

After the lines have thawed, quick repairs can be made with Qest acetal repair fittings, which easily slip over a wide variety of piping materials.