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How to Unfreeze your Pipes

When a pipe freezes, there is a strong urge to get it heated up as quickly as possible to get it thawed (we get it!), but the best thing you can do is to remain calm and go about it the right way to prevent further damage. How you unfreeze the pipe will depend on where it is and what kind of accessibility you have to it. For instance, a pipe under your kitchen or bathroom sink can freeze if it runs along an exterior wall, and this kind of thaw is typically easier than a pipe that is behind a wall or in an enclosed space.

However, regardless of where it’s located the first thing you should do is turn off the water to that area. If you don’t have any way to shut off water to that zone, you may need to turn off water to your whole home (although this is a risky decision because water flow can help prevent other pipes from freezing as well). The goal is to turn off the water to the affected area so that when the water starts flowing again, if you have any cracks or breaks in the pipe, you don’t get flooding.

If you can get to the pipe turn on the water faucet nearest to it (water will likely not come out at all when you turn it on because of the frozen blockage, but a small trickle is possible) so that the water has someplace to go once it thaws. Get a bucket and towels ready in case thawing the pipe leads to a leak of the water that is backed up behind it.

Then, start trying to slowly thaw the pipe using a hair dryer, space heater, heat lamp, or thermostatically controlled heat tape (some home improvement stores have this but all plumbing supply stores should carry it as well). You may need to try some combination of these items to get the space warm enough to get water flowing again. Turning up the heat in your home can help as well by increasing the circulation of warm air (although not quickly because it can take a while for the temperature of your home to increase by a few degrees, especially in a larger home). Never EVER use a propane torch or other fire source to try to thaw a pipe because you can easily melt the pipe and may start a fire in the process as well. Avoid damaging your pipes and hurting yourself by being safe while trying to unfreeze your pipes. If warming up the pipe does not get the water flowing, call a local plumber to come out and work on your pipes.

licensed plumber can unfreeze pipes, as well as deal with the damage that a frozen pipe can cause, replacing broken pipes that have cracked or has burst. For help in the greater Chicago area, give our team of plumbers a call to come address your frozen pipes. We’re ready to help!

Additional resources:
Who Fixes a Broken Pipe?
What Should You Do When a Pipe Bursts?
Will Frozen Pipes Break?
Fixing a Broken Pipe in The Winter
Finding an After-Hours Plumber for Frozen Pipes
Are There Plumbers Near Me that Can Come Out Now?
Do I have Frozen Pipes?
When Will My Pipes Thaw?
Do Plumbers Do Frozen Pipes?
Will a Frozen Pipe Break?
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes Next Time
Can a Plumber Fix a Frozen Broken Pipe?
Understanding Winter Plumbing Problems
What Does Cold do to Pipes?
Why do Pipes Clog in the Winter?
Protecting your Home Plumbing in The Cold