How To Repair Frozen Pipes
Posted: Saturday, March 14, 2009
by Swift Goodway
PlumbersAid
Not many of us have had to deal with frozen pipes. Whilst frozen pipes are not very difficult to d
Prevention is better than Cure
Keeping the water temperature warm is a very good way to prevent frozen pipes. If you don't want to leave your water heating on, a viable alternative is to use a small portabe heater, or even a high wattage bulb.
Another useful tip, especially if you are going to be away from the house for a while is to leave your taps dripping slightly. This ensures that the water in the pipes is always moving, and this movement will stop the water in the pipes from freezing.
Whilst many of us will have to deal with pipework that is already installed, if you happen to be in the very fortunate position of having new plumbing or pipework installed, then do no have the pipes fitted to the outside of external walls.
If your pipework is already fitted to the outside of external walls, freezing can be prevented by insulating the pipes. Heat tape and fibre glass are two materials known to achieve good results.
Better Late Than Never...
When we are unable to prevent pipes from freezing, we have no other alternative than to deal with the problem. It is not as difficult as some may think.
The earlier you are able to detect and attend to a frozen pipe, the less damage the pipe will suffer. One obvious sign of a frozen pipe is when you turn a tap on, and no water comes out. Frost or ice on the outside of pipes is another indication of a problem, so too are bulging pipes.
The next step after detecting a frozen pipe is to thaw it. Though, there are different specialist equipment for this task, you can get by with something as simple as a hair dryer. Do not, however, make the mistake of using heat from a naked flame.
When the pipe has thawed out, check for leaks. If and when a leak is detected, you have two options. You can either fix it yourself, alternatively, you can get a competent plumber.
If you feel that the problem is beyond your ability to fix, you will then have to request the help of an experienced plumber. Those of you that live in Sutton can give this local plumber (Sutton) a call.
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