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How to Repair Frozen Water Pipes Without Replacing Them
Although avoiding them in the first place is the best way to deal with frozen water pipes in your Northern Virginia home or business, strategies do exist to solve the problem once it happens. Strategies that don’t always involve completely replacing pipes and can save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs.
DIY Steps to Repair Frozen water pipes
- The first thing to do is open the faucet that sits at the end of the pipe. This is a safety precaution that’ll protect your pipes from further damage caused by water’s strange expansion qualities. (Water is among the few substances on earth that expands both when it solidifies and as it thaws, giving it unparalleled ability to split and crack.) By opening the valve, you allow thawing water to escape the pipe without rupturing it.
- Next, close the supply line valve that flows into the pipe. If there is a hole or crack in the pipe, it is currently blocked off by the ice. Turning off the water supply before you thaw the pipe prevents a flood from occurring once the ice is gone.
- Visually examine the frozen pipe for signs of damage including cracks, holes, or breaks. Begin your quest in the areas that are located closest to cold area such as the outer walls and crawl spaces. The holes can be as tiny as a pinprick, so inspect the pipe closely.
- It is probably easier to repair the pipe while it is still frozen. However, you can also elect to repair it after you thaw it.
If the damage to the pipe is minor, then you can repair it as follows:- For pinholes, wrap electrical or duct tape securely around the area where the pinhole is located.
- For hairline cracks, cover the affected area with a pipe clamp. Pipe clamps are also known as pipe sleeves. Make sure that you purchase the proper size for the sleeve you use so that it will be secured completely.
- Thaw out the frozen pipe by applying heat to it. You can use a hair dryer to apply heat directly to the pipe. Additionally, you can wrap the frozen pipe with an electric blanket that you have turned on to a high setting. If you have electrical tape and the repair has already been made, you can wrap the pipe in heat tape.
If none of these materials is available to you, you can always elect to soak rags or towels in hot water and wrap them around the frozen pipe. This will probably take longer than any of the methods previously mentioned. - As soon as the water begins to drip from the other end of the water pipe, check to see if it is sufficiently thawed to allow the water to begin flowing through it again. If it is, open the valve that supplies the water to the pipe. If it all goes well, you have successfully repaired your frozen pipe.
Once you have solved the problem, make sure that you take steps to avoid its occurrence again. This may be as simple as periodically checking the water pipes for signs of damage to placing insulating materials such as electrical heat tape for water pipes or pipe insulation on the water pipes.