VERNON Frozen Pipe Repair
Repair for Frozen or Burst Pipes in Salmon Arm & Kelowna
The potential for pipes to freeze is among the main concerns in preparing your property for winter. It is important to take steps to prevent your pipes from freezing when the temperatures dip in the winter months. If a pipe freezes, Bee's Knees Plumbing and Heating Ltd. provides services for thawing frozen pipes.
Get in touch with us at (250) 800-1373 for help with frozen pipes.
Causes of Frozen Pipes
When the temperature drops, the cold temperatures and wind can freeze the water inside your pipes. As the ice forms, it can cause a blockage inside the pipe. The pressure inside the pipe increases as the water freezes and expands. Pipes that are most susceptible to freezing are those located on the exterior and unheated areas of your home or commercial property.
Some pipes that are most likely to freeze include:
- Hose bibs
- Pipes in the garage
- Unheated basements and crawlspaces
- Pipes in exterior walls
- Pipes inside cabinets or exterior walls that are not insulated properly
- Water supply lines located underground
- Irrigation system pipes
A pipe freezing is a serious problem. If the pipe remains frozen and the water continues to expand, it is at greater risk of bursting. Any tiny crack or weakness in the wall of the pipe can cause the frozen pipe to burst. When an outdoor pipe bursts, it can flood the yard or damage the foundation. A pipe bursting inside the house can cause flooding and costly clean up and repair.
Will Frozen Pipes Thaw on Their Own?
No, frozen pipes will not thaw on their own before causing serious damage. This damage can include burst pipes, major water damage, and more. A burst pipe can spew out hundreds of gallons of water per day, so it's important to act immediately when you notice a frozen or freezing pipe rather than waiting and hoping it will take care of itself.
What to do if Your Pipes Freeze?
If your pipes freeze, you should first turn off your water if you know how. Next, contact a local plumber so they can begin the repair process. If you are not experienced on working on frozen pipes, additional damage can be done is mishandled. A licensed plumber will walk you through the next steps and set up up to help prevent additional frozen pipes.
How to Unfreeze Frozen Pipes in a Wall
Thawing a frozen pipe in your walls requires more effort and technical know-how than thawing exposed pipes. In most cases, you will need to cut a hole in the wall to get access to the frozen pipe. However, there are a few steps you take before breaking out the saw:
- Find the section of frozen pipe, and open the faucet it leads to.
- Target a heat source at the frozen area.
- If you have any outside vents, you can try to use heaters to blow hot air into your home.
- Raise your home's thermostat to 75-80 degrees for a few hours to try and thaw out the pipes in your walls or floors.
These techniques are far from guaranteed to work, in which case you'll need to cut open the wall to access the pipe. This is best left to experienced professionals to minimize the damage. If you still need help figuring out how to thaw frozen pipes in a wall, call our pipe experts for help.
How to Unfreeze Frozen Pipes Underground
Thawing underground pipes can be a fair bit trickier than thawing pipes in your home, but there are still a few things you can try before calling a plumber. The most straightforward way to thaw an underground pipe without needing to dig around your yard involves pumping warm water up through your pipes to slowly melt the ice blockage. Depending on the site of the pipe, you may be able to use a hand pump. Larger lines will likely require machinery to pump enough warm water through to clear the blockage. Whether these techniques don't work or if you're not comfortable attempting or learning how to thaw frozen pipes underground, our team of expert plumbers is ready to help. Just give us a call at (250) 800-1373 to schedule your service today!
Frozen Pipe Repair
Due to the risk of the pipe bursting, it is important to deal with frozen pipes right away. The first thing you should do is shut off the water main to the house. This will help reduce pressure in the pipe and minimize flooding if the pipe does burst. When an exposed pipe is frozen, it may be possible to use a heater or hair dryer to thaw the ice inside the pipe.
It is not always easy to find the exact spot where a pipe is frozen, or the pipe may not be easily accessible. If attempting to thaw the pipe doesn’t work, don’t wait to call for professional frozen pipe repair. We have the right equipment to thaw the affected pipe and get the water flowing again safely and efficiently.
Preventing Frozen Pipes
When you take the time to prepare your home or commercial property for the cold weather, you can reduce the risk of frozen or burst pipes. Pay extra attention to the pipes on the outside of the house, in the garage, or in the attic to effectively prevent frozen pipes in the winter.
Just before the cold weather arrives, you can prevent frozen pipes by:
- Turning off the water to outdoor hose bibs
- Disconnecting and draining hoses
- Draining pools, irrigation systems, and piping
- Closing vents to basements, crawlspaces, or garages
- Making sure all pipes are insulated in unheated areas of the home
- Keeping the heat on at night and opening cabinet doors to warm the pipes
When the temperatures get extremely low and the cold wind blows, pipes can freeze despite the homeowner’s best efforts. Our technicians are ready to respond to your call for help with frozen pipes in Vernon.
Why Choose Bee’s Knees for Your Vernon Frozen Pipe Repair?
Our team consists of five members, and we pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service paired with high-quality work. We love having fun at Bee's Knees, and we value our team members as much as we do our customers. Our friendly and positive work environment helps create a wonderful experience for our customers, ensuring you feel secure and well taken care of at every job. Added to that, we at Bee's Knees love dogs, so you can be sure your pup will get belly rubs while we are there, and the gate will always be closed behind us to keep them safe.
OUR CORE VALUES:
- Quality comes first
- BEE empathetic at all times
- Always strive for self-improvement
- Project a positive and professional attitude
Please call (250) 800-1373 for fast Frozen pipe service or book an appointment online with our vernon frozen pipe experts.