How To: Thaw a Frozen Pipe

Of all the challenges encountered in a severe winter, a冷冻管道may be the one that strikes the most fear into the heart of the typical homeowner. After all, the risk is real: If temperatures drop low enough, the water within a vulnerable pipe may freeze and expand, causing the pipe to rupture. Hours or days later, when the ice finally abates, freely flowing water can pour out of the compromised pipe, leading to a host of hazards.

Thankfully, there’s a bit of good news: Not every frozen pipe ultimately bursts open and leaks. Indeed, if you’re at home and aware of the issue, you may be able to thaw a frozen pipe early enough to prevent any damage. Usually, homeowners discover that a pipe has frozen when they turn on a tap and nothing comes out, or when a toilet fails to refill after flushing. Sometimes, there are even signs in the pipe itself, such as an obvious bulge or a thin layer of frost covering the pipe.

时间是这里的一个因素。如果根据天气预报，温度将保持低位，您可能有时间与当地水管工合同以安全地处理这种情况。然而，如果预计温度近期升高，或者如果您只需快速达到合格的专业人士，请按照以下步骤进行操作thaw frozen pipes您自己使用的一些家庭物品已经拥有。

MATERIALS AND TOOLSAvailable on Amazon
–Bucket
–拖把
–Towels
–Heater (heating lamp, heating pad, hair dryer, or space heater)

STEP 1
有时最难的部分只是定位冷冻管道。一个诀窍是打开家里的所有水龙头。如果水没有到达特定的水龙头，就像离开夹具一样追踪其管道线。每十只脚，检查plumbing用手(冻结管真的感觉到冰cold), continuing until you locate the affected area. If none of your faucets are getting a flow of water, the problem may be with the main supply pipe. You can typically find yours in the basement or crawl space, on the side of the house that faces the street.

STEP 2
发现并确认冷冻管道后，转到主供水阀并顺时针转动到其“关闭”位置。接下来，打开您家中的所有水槽龙头和浴缸喷口，排出系统中水的遗体;冲洗厕所。现在武装一桶，mop, and two or three towels you wouldn’t hate ruining—return to the frozen pipe.

STEP 3
At this point, your mission is simple: Apply heat to the frozen pipe. To do so, homeowners typically use such things as hair dryers, heat lamps, and heating pads. Low-tech solutions can be equally effective. For instance, you can pour hot water over towels draped over the frozen spot. More important than your heat source is your technique. Remember that it’s best to begin heating near the edge of the frozen area, on the side closest to the nearest kitchen or bathroom. That way, any steam or water generated by the heating can escape the pipe. Continue heating, inching along the frozen pipe one section at a time. Alternatively, if you can’t directly apply heat to the frozen pipe, try running aspace heater在最近的无障碍区域。另一种选择：将恒温器转到几度。与昂贵的修复相比，您的公用事业账单的任何增加都将很小。

STEP 4
一旦你相信冻结已经融化，返回主供水阀并部分地将其打开。然后回到管道上检查它以泄漏。如果它确实破裂，请再次关闭电源，拨打水管工，并开始工作清理。另一方面，如果管道似乎是正确的水，那么请继续并转动水供应，并关闭任何仍然打开的水龙头或喷口。

To prevent a similar situation in the future,take steps to protect your at-risk pipes. There are several options available to the average homeowner that don’t involve rerouting the plumbing or modifying the heating system. First, consider insulating your pipes—if not all of them, then at least those in the coldest sections of the home, such as the basement, crawl space, attic, or garage. You can go a step further and install a heat tape, an electrical device designed expressly to prevent frozen pipes. At the very least, if you know that brutally low temperatures are coming, you can always open the cabinets under your sinks to warm the exposed pipes by a few degrees. And, finally, as a last-ditch effort, you can open all your faucets and spouts to a trickle, just to keep the water flowing through the pipes. Indeed, with preparation and forethought, you can ensure that you’ll never again find yourself crawling around the basement floor, cold and damp, with a hair dryer in your hand.