The key to safely thawing frozen pipes is to apply slow, even heat by using
- A Hot Air Blower
- A Heat lamp
- A Heating cable or tape
- An Electric Pipe Thawing Machine
- Hot wet towels wrapped around pipes
- Portable Heater to heat the space
- Call a qualified professional to fix the problem
Additional precautions should be taken when thawing pipes to ensure a fire is prevented: Survey the hot work area and always remove combustible material.
If combustible material can’t be removed, use thermal barriers (i.e. ceramic flame guard or a heat shield) to protect it. Have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher nearby at all times. The extinguisher should have minimum rating of 3A 10BC. Conduct a fire watch for at least 30 minutes after finishing hot work.
Know where your structures water shut of is. As it begins to warm up, frozen pipes will rupture causing water damage.
Cover foundation or crawl space venting during these extremely cold conditions until temperatures warm up. Protect any exposed plumbing to the weather. Allowing faucets to trickle, will keeps the water moving and will help it to not to freeze. Open under sink cabinets to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.