Pipe Thawing in Warsaw, IN
Residential plumbing pipes can be manufactured using a variety of materials, including copper, PVC, steel, and others. What they all have in common is that they can wind up freezing in the winter, especially during cold snaps. The risk of frozen pipes rises exponentially when the winter cold is combined with wind chills and a lack of adequate pipe insulation.
Freezing pipes don’t just prevent residents from getting access to the water they need while the temperatures are low. The water turning to ice inside the pipes expands, building pressure slowly over time and raising the risk of a burst pipe. The damage from a burst frozen pipe may not be obvious at first, but once the water starts to thaw, it can be devastating.
It’s not hard to tell when pipes are frozen. If the ice hasn’t completely blocked the pipe yet, there may be only a slow trickle of water coming from an affected faucet. Once the frozen water expands to its full size, the water will stop flowing entirely. Determining whether a pipe has already cracked or burst can be a little trickier. Look for signs like pooling water in the home even when the faucets and fixtures are all turned off, and check the water meter. If the needle’s moving even when everything is turned off, chances are, there’s a cracked or burst pipe somewhere in the home.
Some homeowners just ignore their frozen pipes, especially if they’re still getting a trickle of water from their faucets. They assume that they’ll save money by avoiding a call to the plumber. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case.
Unless the weather has taken a dramatic turn for the better, the water in the pipes will continue to expand, and eventually, the water will stop flowing completely and the pipe could easily burst. These problems can arise even after the ice in the pipe has started to unfreeze.
Once the pipe bursts, a lot of water will be wasted. A burst or severely cracked pipe can lose over 250 gallons of water per day until it’s resolved. The worst part is, all that water won’t flow down the drain. It will leak into the area around the pipe, often causing substantial water damage.
Given how expensive it is to replace plumbing, remediate water damage, and cover skyrocketing water bills, it should be clear that this is a much more expensive scenario than simply calling a plumber for help with pipe thawing. The good news is, Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling is here to help.
There are some DIY methods for thawing frozen pipes in Warsaw, but they can pose dangers. It’s common to see people recommending a combination of hair dryers, heating pads, and heat lamps or space heaters, but taking this approach can lead the pipes to expand too quickly, which can also weaken their integrity.
There’s a second, very serious, risk to attempting ill-conceived DIY pipe thawing. Anyone who attempts to thaw his or her pipes using an open flame is placing the home at elevated fire risk.
Instead of resorting to futile and/or potentially dangerous at-home solutions for dealing with frozen pipes, homeowners in Warsaw can reach out to the pros at Summers Plumbing. They have the equipment and expertise to resolve frozen pipes safely for prices homeowners can afford.
Professional plumbers employ a controlled thawing process that avoids further damage. This process involves applying safe, consistent external heat using specialized pipe thawing machines and running warm water through the pipes as they begin to thaw. Instead of expanding the pipes, this process depressurizes the plumbing system at a safe speed.
Frozen pipes are always a plumbing emergency. Thankfully, Summers Plumbing offers emergency services, and their technicians will be happy to help homeowners get their plumbing systems back up and running. Working with an expert plumber also gives homeowners the chance to ask questions about how to avoid frozen pipes in the future.
Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling has been providing a range of home services, including pipe thawing and other plumbing work, to the area’s homeowners for decades. These experts have all the tools and knowledge required not just to thaw frozen pipes safely but to help homeowners come up with a solution for avoiding the problem in the future. Give them a call before the next big storm to see what steps can be taken to prevent the pipes from freezing, or keep their number on-hand in case of emergencies.
