Here’s how to thaw your pipes after a freeze

AUSTIN (KXAN) — So you’ve done your duty of care: left your closets open, drained your pipes, and taken care of all the outside faucets. What now?

Oklahoma City Fire Department fights a fire in freezing temperatures

When the winter storm ends, some will likely find their pipes frozen.

Austin Water says you’ll know if it’s you when you turn on a faucet and get no water, or it comes out as a trickle.

Here’s what Austin Water recommends you do next:

  • Test all the faucets to find the source of the freezing
    • Test all the faucets in your home and note which ones aren’t working. If the whole house has the problem, the frozen line is likely the water main. When the faucets are not working on a single floor or in a specific room, you can pick out the frozen pipe or pipes.
  • Find the frozen part of the pipe
    • After identifying a source, look for signs of freezing such as bulges, frost, or ice. If you can’t find one, make note of the temperature of the pipe and where it’s coldest they recommend.
  • Don’t rush the thaw
    • Even the slightest splash of water will help thaw a frozen pipe. So if one of your faucets is working, turn on the cold water and let it run. They also recommend keeping cabinets open and using warm, damp towels to wrap affected pipes.
    • Never thaw a pipe with an open flame and do not use electrical appliances with standing water.
  • If that doesn’t work, call a plumber

For more cold weather pipe tips from Austin Water, visit their website.

Close modal

Suggest a correction

You might also like

Comments are closed.