Pipe Thawing Preparation
When pipes are frozen you turn the faucet on and no water comes out or comes out in a trickle. As soon as you realize a pipe is frozen you need to take immediate action.
- Open the faucet supplied by the frozen pipe even if you do not yet know where it is frozen.
- Identify the frozen water supply pipe and find the location of the blockage.
- Follow the pipe back from the faucet to where it runs through cold areas such as an exterior wall, unheated crawl space or in some cases an unheated basement if the pipe is near an outside wall.
- Often the frozen area of the pipe will be frosted or have ice on it. If the situation is getting critical the pipe may be slightly bulged or look slightly fissured.
NOTE: While working on thawing the pipe, if it bursts before it is thawed, then shut off the water at the water main immediately!
