Frozen Pipes – What to Do If This Happens to You

 

By RPM Central Valley

STOCKTON, CA. – One of the worst things that can happen during the winter is when you wake up to the realization that you have frozen pipes in your own home, or one of your tenants calls to let you know that the pipes in your rental property have frozen.

If you’ve never dealt with frozen pipes before they can be a hassle. The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge you can easily resolve something that could have been a major disaster by following these tips.

#1 – Use A Hair Dryer to Unthaw Frozen Pipes

Although it may sound simple, you can use a hair dryer to unthaw frozen pipes, especially if those pipes are exposed and run along an exterior wall because those types of pipes are most susceptible to freezing.

#2 – Use Hot Towels to Unthaw Frozen Pipes

Yes, you can wrap frozen pipes with hot towels since this is by far one of the easiest ways to unthaw pipes which have become blocked since metal does conduct heat but since towels will gradually begin to cool you should also consider dumping hot water on the pipes as well.

#3 – Use Heating Cables to Unthaw Frozen Pipes

Heating cables are self-regulating and another excellent way to unthaw frozen pipes.

Ideally, your pipes should be wrapped with heating cables BEFORE they freeze but this solution will still work if you have exterior pipes which have become frozen during the winter.

#4 – Crank the Heat in The Home

Last of all, but most important, if the frozen pipes are located in the house, one great way to get them unfrozen is by cranking up the heat in the home.

During the process of doing this though you should also open up the cabinets underneath your bathroom and kitchen sinks to make sure that the heat in your home reaches those areas.

Get Property Management Here

For professional property management contact RPM Central Valley today by calling us at (209) 572-2222 or click here to connect with us online.