How To Thaw Frozen Pipes

Continued from page 1

Thawing Plastic pipes

Accessible pipes can be heated with a hair dryer. Keep the dryer moving and do not focus it on any one place too long.

Hot wet rags can be used to heat pipes. Simply immerse a rag in hot water (about 110 degrees F) and wrap it around the pipe. Replace the rag when it cools.

A grounded, water resistant heating pad can be wrapped around the pipe and set to the lowest heat setting.

Thawing Metal pipes

While a flame can be used to heat accessible copper or steel pipes, it is not recommended to use a direct flame on any pipe as this increases the risk of damage to the pipe as well as presenting a fire risk. Never heat the pipe any warmer than you can comfortably tolerate holding the pipe bare handed and always use a flame spreader to diffuse the flame. Never use a flame on plastic pipe.