Repair A Frozen Pipe

 In just a matter of a months winter will be upon us. Besides bundling up from the cold and shoveling snow, homeowners sometimes have to deal with the additional task of fixing frozen pipes.

Prevention is the Best Medicine

The best way to deal with frozen pipes is to prevent them in the first place. If you have the luxury of participating and/or overseeing the building of your home, make sure the plumber does not run any plumbing supply lines in the outside walls of the home. Even if he indicates he will wrap them in insulation, do not accept this compromise. I have seen even insulated pipes in outside walls freeze.

If, however, you have an existing home and there are plumbing supply lines running on the outside walls that you have access to, then insulate these pipes with pipe insulation. It is better than nothing.

How to Fix a Frozen Pipe

If in the event you do find yourself with a frozen pipe, then I recommend the following:

• Close the supply line valve and open the faucet at the end of the pipe.
• Examine the entire length of pipe looking for cracks, breaks or holes, particularly focusing on the suspect cold areas, e.g. crawl spaces and outside walls.

Thaw Out the Damaged Pipe

• Once the crack, break or hole has been identified, use a hair dryer to heat up the surrounding pipe area to get the water flowing again through the pipe. Check the faucet regularly to see when the water begins to flow again. Once the water begins to flow it is time to move on to the repairing phase.

Note: The amount of water flowing out of the faucet will be limited as the supply line valve was shut off.

Repairing the Damage Supply Line

• Once the damaged pipe area has been thawed out, using a hack saw or pipe cutter, remove a section of pipe that includes the broken section.

• Replace this section of pipe. Use a propane torch, solder and flux to sweat the new joints.
• If you are not comfortable cutting and replacing the damaged pipe, pending the size of the crack or break you could simply wrap duct tape or electrical tape around the affected area for a temporary fix. However, a plumber should be brought in as soon as possible to fix the leak permanently.

• Once the pipe has been repaired, turn the supply line valve back on, run the faucet and check the repaired site for any leaks.

• Finally, apply some pipe insulation and/or electrical pipe-heating wire around the repaired area to prevent the problem from occurring again.

About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mr. Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more information visit: http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com.

Source: www.isnare.com

 Mark Donovan

More Articles 

Home Improvement Projects On A Budget - Lee Dobbins
Every year thousands of home owners do major renovations on their house in order to improve the value as well as enjoy their improvements. Some home improvements are very costly and many do not have a good return for the money spent. If you want...

The Convenience Of Dishwashers - Kent Pinkerton
Modern dishwashers have all kinds of features today that allow you to customize your wash. Do you have bone china you want to machine wash? Put the machine on a gentle setting. Do you have a couple of huge pots caked with cooked-on food? Put it on a...

A Guide to Flooring Materials for Your Home - Timothy Clark
Whether you plan to install new flooring in one room or all throughout your home, there are many floor materials to choose from out there and they can really make an impact. Today, there is a myriad of new hardwoods and even some old favorites...

Thinking About A Kitchen Renovation? - Michael Kyle
Nothing can help freshen up an older home, or help in the sale of a property or inspire your kitchen workspace like a new or remodeled kitchen. Kitchen design is becoming increasingly more important as space is rapidly growing...

Simple Air Conditioning Repairs You Can Do Yourself - Tom Sample
If you own an air conditioner, then it is safe to say that at some time in the future you will need air-conditioning repairs. There are a few different things that can go wrong and some are very easily repaired. For example, if your air...

How To Install Bamboo Flooring - Geoff Hugh
Not just food for pandas or the stuff of cheap picnic mats, bamboo is now being processed with modern techniques into beautiful "hardwood" flooring that beats standard wood floors in durability, hardness, and dimensional stability. ...

DIY Plumbing Repair - Down the Drain - Ray Breitenbach
One common plumbing problem that often occurs at the most incovenient of times is a clogged drain. Many home owners are tempted to reach for a bottle of their favorite drain cleaner - they are easy to use, supposed to be quick, and you don't...

Finding a Cuckoo Clock Repair Service - - Kristy Annely
Weights hanging from the bottom of your cuckoo clock keep it running smoothly and accurately. Some cuckoo clocks have two weights and some have three. Since the internal working parts for these two types of timing mechanisms are different, the...

Material for Home Improvement - Tony Robinson
What are you doing to improve your home depends on what materials you will need to finish the task. With any home improvement task, you will need tools and materials. Some material and tools can be purchased at a cheaper cost, while others must...

Water, Water Everywhere on the Waterfront! - Wally Conway
Waterfront living is among the most desirable of locations in our area. The views and vistas are fantastic, not to mention the ability to walk out one's door to drop a line to fish or untie a line to enjoy boating. However, all this joy is not...