Space heaters, hair dryers and heating pads are highly efficient tools for unfreezing a drain pipe. If a frozen drain line ruptures, turn off your home's main water supply. Patch the pipe, call a plumber and a water damage restoration company.
To thaw the drain, fill a pitcher with hot water and pour it by way of a funnel into the center pipe. The hot water will begin to melt the ice, and the tube will inch its way down the drain. As you continue to pour the hot water down the center pipe, the cooled water will be forced upward into the outer pipe.
In many cases though, using the right heating tools can unfreeze your pipes in a matter of 30-45 minutes. Doing this safely and without causing the pipe to burst is the real challenge.
Pipe-thawing options: There are several things you can do to thaw your home's pipes. Here's a list: Probably the most popular and safest pipe-thawing option is to use hot water.
Frozen sewer pipes can lead to a lack of water coming from your tap and to backups in the other pipes in your home. In the worst-case scenario, your frozen pipe can burst, causing a huge flood of sewage water all over your property. A burst pipe is much more expensive to repair than a frozen pipe.
Your pipes will eventually begin to thaw on their own once the temperatures rise above freezing.
From the ground, or if you can see the cap from a window, visually inspect to see if you can spot ice build-up. Don't go on your roof. If your toilet is slow or gurgles, this can also be a sign that the vent is plugged.
In most cases, no. Attempting to do so can cause pressure buildup in the pipe and lead to bursting. Additionally, flushing a toilet with a frozen pipe can result in unsanitary conditions due to a lack of proper drainage. Turn off the water supply and address the frozen pipe before attempting to use your toilet again.
Tip #9: Hot Water and Salt Can Thaw Drainpipes
While we didn't have any issue with our drainpipes, our plumber also gave us this bit of advice: If your drainpipes freeze, boil a kettle of hot water. Stir a cup of kosher salt into the hot water, then pour the concoction down the frozen drain.
Thaw Frozen Pipes
Turn off the water immediately at the main shut off valve. Open the faucet so that water will flow through the pipe once the area is melted. This will help melt more ice.
Apply heat to the pipe.
You can also use a small heater or heat lamp. If there is no electrical outlet, boil some water and soak a few towels in it. Wrap the pipe with these towels. When the towels cool, repeat the process until the pipe is completely thawed.
If your pipes have been frozen for more than two days, shut down your home's water supply. Locate the frozen length using touch, sight and sound. Make sure the pipe hasn't burst, and open indoor faucets. Unfreeze the pipe using a hair dryer, heat tape, space heater or heating pad.
Burst pipes will need to be replaced and a plumber is best equipped to handle the job. The average hourly plumber rate is around $330, depending on where you live and the size of your job. As long as your frozen pipes haven't burst, a plumber will likely charge a flat fee of around $100 to thaw them out.
There are several methods you can try, including a hair dryer, heat tape, or a space heater. You can also attempt to thaw out the pipe by simply turning up the heat in the home, but this will take much longer than one of the previously mentioned methods.
Remove Any Visible Blockages: Use a turkey baster or pipe cleaner to clear out any debris or ice that might be clogging the drain tube. Flush with Warm Water: Fill a turkey baster with warm water and gently flush the drain tube to dislodge any remaining debris. You won't need any drain cleaners or harsh chemicals.
Most frozen icy waste removal jobs can be completed using the cold water supply from a garden hose. Heated water is usually not required. Use a sewer jetter with a nozzle that has a forward jet to help penetrate the icy clog.
Burst pipes are not only an inconvenience—they can result in devastating water damage and costly repairs. You may be wondering if pouring hot water down the drain will unfreeze pipes. The answer is “yes” if the frozen pipe is a drain pipe.
If your pipes freeze, you may consider just waiting for your pipes to thaw and unfreeze themselves. While pipes can naturally thaw over time, there are a lot of issues that arise from this risky method. Depending on the weather and climate in your area, pipes can take a long time to unfreeze themselves.
“Frozen water can cause the toilet to crack, while freezing in the pipes connected to the toilet can lead to blocked water flow and, in severe cases, even cause the pipe to burst due to the expansion of ice,” says Fleming.
If you have a two-story home, go upstairs to locate the pipe. You can verify whether a pipe is a vent pipe by listening as someone flushes the toilet. If the pipe amplifies the flushing sound, it's likely the vent pipe. To find the plumbing vent on the roof, look for a pipe extending about six inches from the roof.
I finally ordered your skewer in December and it works perfectly, the final test coming this past week when it was -40 three nights in a row and no freeze up. My wife is happy I'll never have to climb up on the roof again with my thermos at 30 below."