First Aid for Frozen Pipes

A properly constructed and heated house is safe from plumbing freeze-ups even during the most severe cold snap—unless the heating system breaks down or is knocked out by a power failure. Then no is immune. If heat is not restored promptly, indoor temperatures will drop precipitately and you must act quickly to keep pipes from freezing and bursting. Even in an otherwise well-built house, pipes that run through an unprotected crawl space, basement, laundry room or garage can freeze during exceptionally cold weather, especially if the room is drafty.

If pipes do freeze, the first sign may be a faucet that refuses to yield water. But all too often, the freeze-up is announced by a flood from a break. Water expands about 8 per cent in volume as it begins to freeze, generating pressure that splits pipes, especially where expansion is impeded by joints or bends. Ice may form throughout a long straight section of supply line before it meets an obstruction and cracks the pipe; thus, the entire length of pipe that supplies a stopped faucet should be considered suspect, both for ice blockages and leaks.

When you prepare to thaw a section of pipe, keep the affected faucet open to let vapor and melting ice run out. Then turn off the water supply once you have located the leaks and marked them for repairs. After temporary patches have been applied to the damaged areas, open the main shutoff partway; the movement of water through the frozen section of pipe will aid the thawing process. The surrounding area should be guarded against water damage in the event that any other leaks have gone undetected.

Electrical heaters of one kind or another are generally safest for thawing. However, freeze-ups often occur during power failures and in such a case you are likely



to have to use the flame from a propane torch.

How to Keep Pipes from Freezing

There is only one sound way to prevent freeze-ups in an unheated house: drain the entire plumbing system. For pipe protection in other circumstances, you can choose from several methods—both electrical and non-electrical, temporary and permanent.

• If power is available, plug in an electric heater or heat lamp, or hang a 100-watt bulb near vulnerable pipes.
• Keep a door ajar between a heated room and an unheated room with pipes so that the unprotected area will receive heat.
• Set an electric fan on your furnace to blow warm air over basement pipes.
• Insulate exposed pipes. In addition to the thermostatic heating tape, there are wrap-on and snap-on varieties of pipe insulation that will retard freezing.
• If no commercial insulation is at hand and pipes must be protected immediately, wrap several layers of newspaper loosely around the pipes and tie with string.
• If the temperature suddenly drops and you have no time to install insulation, turn faucets on to a trickle; this will prevent freezing.
  

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