A GUIDE TO DEALING WITH FROZEN PIPES

It’s the dead of winter in Winnipeg, and nothing happens when you turn on the faucet to get some water to boil, so you can throw it in the air and watch it instantly evaporate.

You have a problem. A potentially big problem.

There’s a good chance that your plumbing pipes are frozen.

So, the question is, “What do you do if your plumbing pipes freeze?”

frozen pipes repair prevention winter

Don’t panic but act with promptness

The very first thing to do is to not panic. You need to assess the situation and come at it with a deductive/methodical approach.

If you have frozen pipes, there’s a still a chance that you won’t get flooded as the water is still frozen. This gives you a chance to save what you can by fixing the problem before the water unfreezes.

That’s why you need to act with promptness. Thinking that you have time may be deceiving. Get it fixed asap.

Plumbing infrastructure testing

The next thing to do is figure out which pipes are frozen. It could be that only one pipe is frozen in one particular location.

You need to do a house-wide test to find out. Go to each room where you have a faucet:

  • Bathroom(s)
  • Kitchen
  • Laundry room
  • Wet bar
  • Work area

Shut off water supply

While you’re trying to figure everything out, go to your water shut off valve. Test that it is in fact working.

Why is this important?

Because if for some reason it’s not working, and something happens while you’re trying to fix the problem, you could get flooded.

By ensuring that it works properly, you can go ahead with the repair knowing that you have a failsafe in place.

Toilet use

This may be a bit inconvenient, but if you have frozen pipes, do not use the toilet.

It’s pretty self-explanatory why.

You may need to use a neighbor’s, local business establishment, or even temporarily move out if need be until you fix it.

Thawing out your frozen pipes

If the freeze is small enough and accessible, you can try using a blow dryer or space heater to thaw the frozen section.

However, before you do this, make sure that you 100% positive there are no broken sections of pipe anywhere else. Nothing worse than thawing out the freeze only to have it leak out somewhere else.

*Super important: Never leave any type of heating device unattended, ever.

The last thing you want is a frozen pipe and a house fire.

**Super duper important: Never ever use an open flame to thaw frozen pipes.

Frozen pipes still not thawing

You’ve tried everything, but still no water. It might be time to call a plumber.

Most plumbers will be able to instantly thaw the pipe by using an electrical charge.

Get it done right and guaranteed by a professional Winnipeg plumber.

Try Dean’s Plumbing & Heating!