{"id":373,"date":"2015-02-17T09:28:58","date_gmt":"2015-02-17T14:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/?p=373"},"modified":"2015-02-17T09:28:58","modified_gmt":"2015-02-17T14:28:58","slug":"frozen-water-pipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/frozen-water-pipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Frozen Water Pipe?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_374\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/frozen-water-pipe.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-374\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-374\" src=\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/frozen-water-pipe-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Frozen Water Pipe\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/frozen-water-pipe.jpg 300w, https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/frozen-water-pipe-255x170.jpg 255w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-374\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frozen Water Pipe<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>What can you\u00a0do about a Frozen Water Pipe?<\/h2>\n<p>Water expands when it freezes, causing pipes that freeze to split. Even if a pipe doesn\u2019t split, the ice will block the flow of water, a hallmark of a frozen pipe. Generally, a pipe will freeze only in a small area. If no damage occurs, you can thaw it out without consequence. To thaw a frozen water pipe, heed the following imperatives of pipe thawing:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. First, Do No Harm.<\/strong>\u00a0<em>If the pipe has split and you thaw it out, you may suddenly have a whole lot of water spraying out. The ice plug may be doing you a favor. If you know where the pipe is frozen, inspect it carefully for splits before you thaw. If it\u2019s split, call a plumber and shut the water to the house off.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Have a Backup Plan.<\/strong> Check your main water shut-off valve. Make sure you\u2019ll be able to shut the water off quickly if necessary. Test operate the valve to make sure it\u2019s not stuck or damaged.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Patience Is a Virtue.<\/strong> The only good way to thaw a frozen water pipe is to do it slowly. Never apply a blowtorch, as you could create trapped steam that\u2019ll burst or cause damage by melting a solder joint or plastic valve fitting. Gentle heat, such as a space heater or hairdryer, is a better approach. If the frozen water pipe is under a sink, opening cabinet doors may let in enough heat to thaw the pipes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. If in Doubt, Call a Plumber.<\/strong> While calling a plumber about frozen pipes is never the wrong thing to do, the following situations definitely require a plumber:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can\u2019t find where the pipe is frozen.<\/li>\n<li>You suspect that your water main is frozen.<\/li>\n<li>The frozen pipe has a split and will require repair.<\/li>\n<li>Your main shut-off valve is corroded and stuck.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Prevention<\/h2>\n<p>Now that your pipes are thawed, how are you going to keep them from freezing again? Here are a few solutions:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Add Some Heat &#8211;<\/strong> Often, the most effective short-term solution is to add a heat source to get you through the winter. Adding a space heater in a crawlspace near problem pipes, or hiring a plumber to apply heat tape or pipe wrapping are effective options.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Seal Air Leaks &#8211;<\/strong> A common cause of pipe freeze is air leakage\u2014cold air streaming in through gaps around windows or hatches. This is easy to fix with weather strip and caulking.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Insulate\u00a0&#8211;<\/strong> While insulating is more complicated, improper installation could make the problem worse. Stuffing blankets around the pipes may block household heat from getting to the pipes. An insulation contractor can recommend a customized solution. If there\u2019s space, add insulation and the appropriate air barrier and vapor retarder. Sometimes, the existing insulation will have to be removed and replaced with more effective insulation (higher R value insulation).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Column by Charles Furlough, vice president of Field Operations with Pillar To Post Home Inspectors:\u00a0www.pillartopost.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What can you\u00a0do about a Frozen Water Pipe? Water expands when it freezes, causing pipes that freeze to split. Even if a pipe doesn\u2019t split, the ice will block the flow of water, a hallmark of a frozen pipe. Generally, a pipe will freeze only in a small area. If no damage occurs, you can thaw it out without consequence. To thaw a frozen water pipe, heed the following imperatives of pipe thawing: 1. First, Do No Harm.\u00a0If the pipe [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Frozen Water Pipe? - Real Estate Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What to do about a frozen water pipe, and how to help prevent frozen water pipes in the future.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/frozen-water-pipe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Frozen Water Pipe? - Real Estate Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What to do about a frozen water pipe, and how to help prevent frozen water pipes in the future.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/frozen-water-pipe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Real Estate Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AtlantaRealEstatePros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AtlantaRealEstatePros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-02-17T14:28:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/frozen-water-pipe-300x200.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jim Koza\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jim Koza\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/frozen-water-pipe\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/frozen-water-pipe\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jim Koza\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d1c47e20a589d5b6dadedacdd1842b83\"},\"headline\":\"Frozen Water Pipe?\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-17T14:28:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-02-17T14:28:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/frozen-water-pipe\/\"},\"wordCount\":519,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/frozen-water-pipe\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/atlantapros.com\/blog\/frozen-water-pipe\/\",\"name\":\"Frozen Water Pipe? 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