Colder winter temperatures bring a risk of frozen water pipes. Along with frozen water pipes come creative and dangerous attempts for thawing them. Every winter, homes are damaged or destroyed and lives are lost because people use propane torches or other flame sources for thawing water pipes. Homeowners located in areas of the country with generally mild winters are often the least prepared for freezing temperatures and frozen water pipes. As reported by Washington Post, a local handyman attempted to thaw his frozen water pipes with a propane torch. If he had to do it over again, he said he’d call a plumber.
The American Red Cross and fire departments around the country warn consumers of the dangers of using flames to thaw pipes. Both the American Red Cross website and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue website provide general guidelines for prevention of frozen water pipes and how to safely thaw them, when necessary.
General guidelines to prevent frozen water pipes include:
General guidelines to thaw frozen water pipes include: