Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Locating a frozen pipe
• Part 2 of 4: Thawing water pipes
• Part 3 of 4: Thawing pipes inside a wall
• Part 4 of 4: Preventing frozen pipes
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

The water pipes in your home can freeze due to a broken tap, a broken or malfunctioning thermostat, or insufficient insulation.Frozen water can crack or tear your pipes and cause major damage. Start by looking for cracks and cracks in the pipes and see where the main tap is located so that you can quickly prevent a flood if necessary. If you have found that the pipes are undamaged, use lukewarm water and / or add more insulation to thaw the pipes.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Locating a frozen pipe

1. Find out where the problem is. Turn on all taps in your house to see if they are running smoothly. If water is coming from one tap but not from the other, then the problem is in the pipe somewhere between those two faucets. Open all taps slightly. A small drop of running water from working faucets can prevent further freezing and help melt the ice. Also leave blocked faucets open to relieve pressure on the lines.
   • In America most houses also have a tap on the outside, in the Netherlands this is less common.
2. First, check the most likely spots. If water is no longer running out of the tap in a large area of ​​your house, check the most likely and accessible areas first before you may need to drill holes in the walls unnecessarily. Below are some examples of the best places to look - unless you managed to narrow down your search to a smaller area of ​​your home:
   • Pipes in or near uninsulated crawl spaces, attics or basements.
   • Piping near cold vents or cold concrete.
   • Ventilation valves and connections.
   • Outdoor pipes can freeze, but be sure to check them last as most outdoor systems are designed so that no water gets stuck in the pipes.
3. Look for cracks and / or leaks. Examine the pipes of the affected area carefully. As a result of pressure change, frozen water can cause damage to the water supply pipes, which then usually crack in the longitudinal direction, or crack the joints.
   • To get a better look at the back of pipes that sit close to the wall or other hard-to-reach areas, use a flashlight and a handheld mirror, or one of those small dentist's mirrors, that you can sometimes buy at a hardware store.
   • If you find a leak, turn off the main tap immediately. Call a plumber to replace the pipe or repair it yourself if you know how.
4. Find the frozen section. If there are no leaks or cracks, locate the frozen portion of the water supply pipe using one of the following methods.
   • Feel the temperature of the tube with your hand or use an infrared thermometer to locate areas that are significantly colder than others.
   • Tap the tube with the handle of a screwdriver or other object and listen for a more solid, less "hollow" sound.
   • If you have checked all the exposed pipes and found nothing, go to the section on defrosting pipes inside the walls.

Part 2 of 4: Thawing water pipes

1. Open the taps a little. Open the tap connected to the frozen pipe and also slightly open the nearby working taps. Running water is much less likely to freeze than standing water. If the running water passes through or near a frozen area, the ice will likely thaw over the course of an hour or two.
   • If you see cracks in a pipe, turn off the main tap immediately and do the same with all taps.
2. Use a hairdryer or heat gun. Turn on a hairdryer and move it back and forth along the frozen tube. Keep it moving and do not place it directly against the pipe, as uneven or sudden heating can cause the pipe to rupture. If the pipes are metal, you can use a more powerful heat gun in the same way.
   • PVC pipes can be damaged at temperatures above 60 ºC. Never use a heat gun or other direct heat stronger than that of a hairdryer.
   • Outdoor air fans often contain fiber rings or other non-heat resistant materials. Heat it slowly and carefully.
3. Use heat tape. Buy electrical heat tape from a hardware store. Wrap the tape in a single layer around the length of the frozen tube and plug it into an electrical outlet. The tape consists of heating elements that heat up as soon as they are turned on.
   • Make sure not to double tape the electrical heat tape. Wrap the tape around the tube only once, or in a spiral pattern.
4. Heat the surrounding air. Place an electric heater, naked light bulbs or heat lamps near the frozen pipe, but not too close. Hang up cloths or blankets to trap heat in a smaller area, but don't let them come in direct contact with the heat source. For larger rooms, use multiple heat sources to ensure safe, even heating of the pipe.
5. Add salt to the frozen pipes. Salt lowers the melting point of ice, causing it to melt at a lower temperature. Sprinkle a tablespoon of salt down the drain and let it sit on the ice for a while.
   • You can try dissolving the salt in 1 cup (about half a cup) of boiling water first, but doing so risks bursting the pipe due to the sudden change in temperature.
6. Wrap the water supply pipe in warm towels. Put on rubber gloves and soak a few towels in a container of hot water. Wring them out and then wrap them tightly around the frozen portion of the pipe. Replace with freshly soaked warm towels every 5-10 minutes until the pipe is thawed.
   • Do not leave cold wet towels around the pipes.

Part 3 of 4: Thawing pipes inside a wall

1. Let the warm air from a fan heater blow into outdoor vents. If you can find a vent in the outer wall, set up a fan heater that blows warm air to the vent. Use a cardboard box or piece of tarpaulin to minimize the amount of heat lost to the surrounding air.
2. Turn up the central heating thermostat. Set the heating in your house to about 24-27 ºC and wait two to three hours.
   • Open all cabinet doors so that the warm air circulates as close to the walls as possible.
3. Cut a hole in the wall. Unfortunately, this is often necessary to get to a frozen pipe before it bursts. Follow the instructions in the text section on how to locate frozen pipes to determine the most likely problem area. Use a keyhole saw to cut the hole, then use one of the methods in the above text on pipe thawing.
   • If this is a recurring problem, consider putting a cupboard in front of the hole, rather than repairing the wall, so you can easily reach it if it happens again.

Part 4 of 4: Preventing frozen pipes

1. Insulate the pipes. Wrap the pipes in cold areas of your house with strips of foam rubber, old rags, or other insulating material. If there is a power outlet nearby, you can leave the tubes wrapped with electrical heat tape, and plug it in when it gets cold.
2. Protect the pipes against wind and cold air. Check crawl spaces and exterior walls for gaps and repair to minimize exposure to cold air. Use windshields or faucet covers to protect faucets and vent valves on the outside of the house.
3. Keep certain places warm. In cold weather, hang a 60-watt light bulb near the spot where the water pipe previously froze, preferably just below it. If you want to keep crawl spaces and other similar places warm, first make sure that no flammable materials are kept in the same space.
4. Open all taps slightly. Pipes do not freeze as quickly if a little water is constantly running through them, because then the water continues to move and does not have time to freeze. So at temperatures around freezing, leave all taps in the house slightly open.
   • You can adjust the ballast in your toilet tank so that the water continues to flow smoothly even when the tank is full.

Tips

• If the weather is expected to get warmer tomorrow, you can also use bottled water for a day until the pipes have thawed out on their own. This can be cheaper than using new tools and the energy to defrost the pipes.
• Wind is an important factor in pipe freezing. Do not allow wind or even a breeze to come near the water supply. Hang insulating plastic over these areas to prevent cooling from cold wind. Make sure there are no gaps or holes in the insulation material.

Warnings

• Do not make holes in drywall unless you are sure of the location of the frozen pipe.
• Never use fire to heat a frozen pipe. You can destroy the pipe and / or cause a fire.
• Never pour a sink drain cleaner or other chemicals into a frozen pipe, as these can burst the pipe due to the build-up of too much gas or heat. A small amount of hot water can be used as a last resort, but even that is risky.
• Only use electrical equipment in a dry environment.

Necessities

• Infrared thermometer
• Hair dryer
• Heat gun
• Old rags
• Water
• Electric heat tape
• Keyhole saw
• Fan heater