During winter, the cold weather can unexpectedly wreak havoc on your outdoor faucets and water pipes. For instance, you might try to open the faucet in your bathroom or kitchen — only to receive a small trickle of water. Unfortunately, this usually means one thing: your pipes have frozen over.
The pipes nearest exterior walls and crawl spaces are most likely to freeze. However, any pipe can become encased in ice and frost when outdoor temperatures dip low enough.
So, do frozen pipes thaw on their own? If so, how long does it take for frozen pipes to thaw? These questions can be a little tricky to answer.
Will Your Frozen Pipes Thaw Naturally?
There’s no doubt that frozen pipes are annoying and scary to deal with. When your pipes become blocked with ice, this can take a toll on your water supply. Not only that, but this problem can also lead to severe water damage should your pipes burst.
Now, you’re probably curious to know: do frozen pipes thaw on their own? Simply put, the answer to this question is “yes.” Your pipes will eventually start to unfreeze.
How long does it take for frozen pipes to thaw naturally? This thawing process can take days or weeks, depending on the severity of the situation — and unfortunately, your pipes can burst before then.
What’s the Best Way to Thaw Frozen Pipes?
Although you can wait for your pipes to thaw, you run the risk of severe plumbing damage in the meantime. Fortunately, there are ways to speed up the thawing process.
Let’s review a few tips to safely unfreeze your pipes in more detail below.
Bring the Heat
Although frozen pipes do thaw on their own, you can significantly expedite the process with a safe and effective heat source. For example, you can place a space heater near the frozen pipe to envelop it in warm air. Similarly, you can use a hair dryer, heat tape (also called “heat cable”), or hot towels to achieve a similar effect. Remember: you should never use open flames on your pipes!
How long does it take for frozen pipes to thaw with a heat source? On average, you can expect a heated portion of the pipe to unfreeze within 30 to 60 minutes. But, of course, how long the process takes can vary, so have patience.
Open Cabinet Doors
Do you not have a hairdryer, hot towels, or space heater at the ready to thaw a frozen pipe? There’s no reason to worry. In the meantime, you can open the cabinet doors beneath your sinks to infuse the pipes with warm air from your home. As an added tip, you can also let your sink faucets trickle to prevent frozen pipes in the future.
How long does it take for frozen pipes to thaw when you open your sink cabinets? Overall, you can probably expect the process to go much slower than if you used a direct heat source.
Call a Professional
It can be challenging to prevent your pipes from freezing. Fortunately, you don’t have to tackle the problem all by yourself. If you think your pipes are frozen, don’t hesitate to call your local emergency plumbers in Toronto for assistance. You can rest assured knowing that the damage your plumbing system sustained will be kept at a minimum.
Turn to the Experts for Frozen Pipe Repair!
“Do frozen pipes thaw on their own?” If you ask a professional plumber this question, you’re likely to receive a frown as your answer. That’s because frozen pipes are a serious problem and should be handled urgently. Exposing your pipes to the cold, even unknowingly, can lead to serious plumbing problems down the road.
If you want to keep water flowing through your pipes, call Priority Plumbing & Drains for a frozen pipe repair. We offer same-day services to ensure your plumbing remains in top shape. Our professional team provides everything from frozen pipe services to drain repair in Toronto, ON, to satisfy your needs. So don’t wait — contact us today to schedule an appointment!