Fill a bucket or pitcher with hot tap water and pour it slowly over the connection. It should come apart almost immediately, but you'll probably need to repeat the process to completely thaw the spigot. Run some water through it to be sure, then close it and let it drain properly.
Leaving your outside water running through the winter months is a recipe for disaster. Any residual water left in your exterior faucets or outdoor pipes can freeze, causing immense pressure that leads to leaks--or worse--burst pipes.
Yes, you should leave the faucet open just a bit to allow for expansion of the water if you can't get it thawed... If you know where it is frozen, you can put a hair dryer on the line to slowly thaw it... You don't want a fast thaw as that can also cause expansion that can burst the pipe...
Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water.
If you suspect that there are pipes in or above the garage, use space heaters to heat up that space as well. Make sure to keep heaters away from anything potentially flammable! Your pipes will eventually begin to thaw on their own once the temperatures rise above freezing.
Should You Drip Faucets In Cold Weather? Yes, according to the Red Cross, the short answer to that question is you should.
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.
With this in mind, expect most pipes to freeze within six to eight hours. Uninsulated exterior pipes can freeze in under six hours if the temperature is below 20 degrees. It takes at least 12 hours for unprotected pipes to freeze at 32 degrees.
Left unattended, the frozen water can continue to expand until it bursts the supply pipe leading to the spigot itself. When the ice inside the supply pipe thaws, the melting water inside the pipe escapes through the rupture and can flood your home. You can have a nasty surprise and a mess to clean up.
Manually thaw: Begin the thawing process at the most vulnerable places (near faucets). By targeting these areas first, your pipes will be less likely to burst. To do so, gently apply heat to the frozen areas. A blow dryer is a good option (use caution, go slowly, and don't use an open flame).
The job goes more quickly by pouring hot water or a mixture of vinegar, baking soda and salt water down the drain. 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.
Run your hand along the water line to find a cold spot. Turn on the closest faucet and thaw from the faucet towards the blockage. This reduces the chance of a pipe burst. Heat the area with a hair dryer, heating pad, electrical heater, hot water bottles or hot towels.
Your outdoor pipes and faucets are vulnerable to freezing and bursting in the wintertime due to an increase in water pressure. Freezing and bursting often result in expensive water damage and repair costs for your home.
Frozen Pipes Shouldn't Be Allowed to Thaw on Their Own
The laws of physics say water always takes up more volume as it freezes. When your pipes can no longer contain the expanding ice, they will burst. This not only breaks the pipes and makes your plumbing system unusable, it may cause serious water damage as well.
Ask any plumber, "Should I turn off the water if pipes are frozen?" and they'll immediately tell you, "Yes." Locate your main water line and switch the shut-off valve so the flow of water stops. By doing this, you'll reduce the amount of pressure that builds inside your frozen pipes.
Your pipes will eventually thaw on their own, but this will take at least a few hours or potentially several days, depending on where the pipe is located and the air temperature around it.
There's one main reason to drip your outdoor faucets: running water is less likely to freeze than stagnant water. This simple act can also help release pressure inside the pipes if they start to freeze. Water expands when it freezes, and if the pressure builds enough, it can damage your pipe.
A foul smell from the drain or faucet is a less-obvious warning sign. Odors are unable to filter out of the frozen pipe and instead are forced back into the home's faucet. No water or a slow trickle when a faucet is used. Whistling and banging coming from pipes, or strange bubbling sounds when you flush a toilet.