With winter’s cooler temperatures continuing to blow, your plumbing is likely feeling the effects. One of the most common problems homeowners experience is little to no water coming out of their faucet, the telltale sign that a pipe may have frozen over. How you deal with this problem is critical to avoid emergency plumbing repair services.

Understanding How To Deal With Frozen Pipes

Relieving Pressure

Once you’ve identified which portion of your plumbing is frozen (i.e., frost on the exterior and/or a bulging appearance), it’s important to open the hot and cold handles on the faucet that particular pipe feeds into. This will relieve any pressure that builds up during the thawing process, reducing the likelihood of a potentially dangerous and costly burst pipe.

Thawing Exposed Pipes

If the frozen pipe is easily accessible and visible, the thawing process is relatively simple. Beginning near the faucet and working towards the frozen blockage, you can slowly heat the pipe using a variety of methods. A hairdryer, hot towels, portable space heater, or heat lamp can all be used to effectively melt the frozen ice and clear your blockage. Alternatively, you can pick up electrical heating tape from your local hardware and plumbing repair store, which can be applied to evenly distribute heat throughout your pipes as needed.

Thawing Enclosed Pipes

If your frozen pipe is enclosed behind drywall or in another area that is not easy to access, plumbing repair experts would first advise you to turn up the heat in your home or office to naturally warm and melt the blockage. If you have identified exactly where the frozen pipe is, an infrared lamp can be placed in front of the wall for a quicker defrost. When these methods fail, a portion of the wall can be cut out to easily access and treat the frozen pipe, restoring your plumbing and comfort.

The next time you find yourself dealing with frozen pipes, contact a reliable plumbing repair company like Dependable Plumbing. Based in Ellijay, GA, this team of plumbers has been handling everything from septic tank and drain cleaning to new construction plumbing for more than 27 years. And when you find yourself in an emergency situation, their 24/7 emergency services will restore your safety, comfort, and peace of mind. To learn more about their septic system installation and other sewer system services, contact the Dependable Plumbing team directly at (706) 698-5000. To schedule service or inquire about a free estimate, you can also visit their website and complete their convenient online contact form.