If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle or nothing comes out, you may have a frozen pipe. The most likely places are near exterior walls, in crawl spaces or basements and other unheated places where pipes run.
Check all other faucets in your home as well. If one is frozen others may be as well.
Keep the faucet open slightly. As you thaw the pope water will begin to flow through the frozen area and the heat from the flowing water will quickly thaw the remainder of the frozen portion.
Apply heat to the frozen area of the pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a small electric heater (kept well away from any flammable materials), or by wrapping towels or rags soaked in hot water around the pipes.
NEVER USE A BLOWTORCH, KEROSENE OR PROPANE HEATER, CHARCOAL OR WOOD STOVE OR ANY OTHER OPEN FLAME DEVICE!
If the frozen pipe is not accessible or you cannot thaw the pipe call a licensed plumber.
Frozen pipes- Protecting for the future
1. Relocate your exposed pipes to a protected location
2. Fully enclose and/or heat the area where they run so the temperature doesn’t drop low enough to cause freezing.
3. Add lots of insulation to the pipes where they are located.
4. Consider adding heat tape or heat cable to the pipes. These devices can be purchased with built in thermostats that prevent them from actually turning on until a preset temperature such as 40 degrees is reached in the pipe.
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Phone: (401) 421-0100 Fax: (401) 421-2376
Email: service@burnscotter.com