Phoenix, Arizona is just like any other normal cities prone to frozen water pipes problems. Yet, there are some households that do not experience these common issues. You could be one of them or you could be one of those who constantly have to put up with frozen water pipes.
There are different reasons why water pipes get frozen. But the obvious reason is because it is winter! Then the other factors that may cause freezing water pipes in Phoenix may be because they are located outside or that the valves are exposed.
It is a bad thing for homeowners and even business owners if they do not take necessary preventive measures to avoid freezing their water pipes. Once a water pipe gets frozen, clogging will occur. Pipes may also be broken because they become easy to break once they’re frozen.
Preventive Steps to Take
To keep your water pipes from freezing during the winter, you need to make sure they are insulated. Hire a professional plumber, or a plumbing company like Mr. Rooter, to do the work for you. Sure, you’ll spend a few dollars to pay for the service but you will have the peace of mind that the work has been done to your satisfaction.
Another way to prevent your water pipes from freezing is to check for pipe leaks. If there are leaks in the pipes, tendency is that freezing will be faster because of the water and cold air. Damages to the pipelines should be fixed before the cold season to prevent further problems.
Emptying the water pipes of water will help prevent freezing, too. It will also prevent further damage to the pipes as there will be no water to freeze inside.
If, even after doing all necessary steps to prevent the water pipes from freezing and causing further problems, the pipes still get frozen, then you will need to work towards unfreezing it or you won’t be able to use your drains. Here are some things you need to know when thawing ice from the pipes.
- Never force the ice to break or you will cause more damage than good on your pipes.
- Find out which pipe is frozen by turning on all faucets. The faucet that does not have water coming out of it is most probably frozen.
- Leave the faucets open and let the water trickle a bit to help thaw the ice.
- Some homeowners use hair dryers as quick remedy to unfreezing frozen water pipes. But remember not to use anything that may exceed the temperature of a hair dryer or you’ll end up melting your PVC pipe.
- Another quick remedy that some residents claimed to have worked is adding salt to the frozen part of the pipe.
Keeping the house warm during the cold season will also help a lot in thawing frozen pipes. The warmth of the house can seep through wall openings or exhausts and go down pipes. But the best advice we can give at Mr. Rooter is to consult a professional, certified service provider so you do not have to worry about doing or not doing the right thing or even damaging your property even further.