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A thread about frozen pipes: One of our pipes froze last night, and we fixed it in about two hours. So, a few thing I learned after researching for a couple hours.
1. Most of us know this, but make sure your faucets are dripping and cabinets are open to prevent this from happening. This is where I failed. I didn’t know both hot and cold were supposed to be drinking, so I only set the hot water to drip.
2. If you do have a frozen pipe, try to determine which pipe it is and where the freeze is. If it’s isolated, it’s likely the pipe directly hooked up to the area you’re trying to use. Once you find the pipe, locate the blockage by tapping a tool on it until you can hear it.
3. If the pipe is an interior pipe, you’ll have a tougher time and will likely have to cut a hole in the wall. A pipe on an exterior wall, which ours was, should be easier to access, but may take longer to defrost. Ours was right beneath the sink and exposed to the negative temp.
4. To fix it, we rotated two rags in an out of boiling water for about two hours and wrapped them around the pipe. You can also use a hair dryer up and down the pipe or put a space heater nearby. Do not use an open flame, as it can cause explosion.
5. If your electricity is out, any of these things are probably not possible, so you’ll have to wait until the electricity is back on. If it still doesn’t defrost after four to six hours, it’s probably not going to until it’s warmer.
6. It isn’t ideal for your pipes to thaw on their own, but if they must, KEEP YOUR FAUCET ON UNTIL THEY DO. This is the most important step in keeping your pipes from bursting if they are already frozen.
7. The reason is, when it begins to thaw, there’s so much pressure with nowhere to go - and that’s what causes pipe bursts. Keeping the faucet on will relieve the pressure from that end. It’s a myth that pipes burst due to the expansion of water. It’s pressure with no way out.
It is also helpful to turn the water valve off until it thaws, and you can control the thaw. But if not, just make your faucet is open, so the pressure can be relieved.
https://www.mallickplumbing.com/blog/2016/december/the-real-reason-that-pipes-burst-when-they-freez/
