Toronto Frozen Pipe Repair

That really depends on the conditions that caused them to freeze up in the first place. If it happened because the heat was turned off and you turned it back on, it could easily take several hours to unfreeze. In the meantime, the building pressure could cause a problem like a pinhole leak. If your pipes are frozen because of a problem like inadequate insulation and it's still freezing cold outside, they're not going to thaw out by themselves until the weather conditions improve, and it could be far too late to avoid serious damage by that point. That's why we generally don't recommend just waiting for the problem to resolve on its own.

This may seem like an obvious solution, but it doesn't work—and it could cause worse damage to your frozen pipes. If you have frozen water supply lines, pouring hot water into your drain lines won't make any difference whatsoever. If your drainage system needs frozen pipe repair, its frozen segment is likely a pretty good distance away from your drain. Even if you pour in boiling hot water, it'll cool down by the time it reaches your problem area and won't be able to melt away all ice. And, while this is unlikely, it is possible that steam could create more pressure that essentially serves as the straw that broke the camel's back and burst your line open.

If you're pretty sure you know exactly where the frozen part of your line is, you're able to access it and you want to try thawing it by yourself, the best way to go about it is to slowly warm that segment of frozen pipe from the outside so ice inside melts and loosens up until it can be flushed through your line. You can do that by wrapping an electric heating pad around the pipe, or by blowing hot air on it with an electric hair dryer. It's important to avoid using any kind of open flame device such as a candle, lighter or kerosene heater because it will pose a serious risk of fire, especially when you're trying to maneuver in a small, confined space. You can also place a portable space heater nearby and make sure cabinet doors are open so the warm air can circulate, but remember to monitor the space heater—don't leave it running while you're asleep or out of the house.

The best way to prevent the need for frozen pipe repair is to ensure that your house has adequate levels of insulation and to leave your heat on when it's freezing cold outside. But realistically, there may be some times when that's not possible. Here are a few tips that may help:

• If you're going to be out of your house for a few days or weeks in winter and you don't want to leave your heat on full blast while no one's home, turn your thermostat down to 10 degrees. Open your bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors to let what little heat your furnace is putting out circulate around the pipes under sinks.
• If you experience a problem like a malfunctioning furnace and your heat is completely off in winter, go around your house and turn on all your faucets so there's a pencil-thin stream of water going down your drain. The movement of water will help prevent freezing inside lines until you're able to get help from an HVAC professional to get your heat back on.
• If you know there's an issue with poor insulation in one part of your house but you can't remedy it with new wall insulation or other measures at the moment, protect the most vulnerable stretches of pipe by insulating the actual pipe itself with spray foam or a foil insulating "jacket."

If you need help with frozen pipes right now, rely on the team of expert plumbers at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Toronto. Our friendly customer service staff can be reached by phone to find out more about our service or schedule an appointment.