What if you are unable to prevent your pipes from freezing? How do I know if my pipes are frozen? One way to tell if your pipes are frozen is to get your faucets and toilet, if water will not flow out of your faucet or your toilet won’t refill after flushing you may have frozen pipes. If you do have frozen pipes houselogic.com states you should turn off water to that section of the plumbing. While the pipes are frozen things may be fine, but after the pipes start to thaw problems can begin. The frozen water could act as a plug and when the water unfreezes it comes gushing out. To manually unfreeze the pipes you can use a space heater, heat lamp, hair dryer or thermostatically controlled heat tape. Avoid using propane torches as this could lead to a fire. If a frozen pipe burst and causes damage try and dry out the damaged area as much as possible. Mops, sponges, and wet/dry vacs can help remove some of the water. You can also contact your insurance agent. Your insurance agent will be able to advise you on what to do in regards to a claim. Most of the time your homeowners insurance will cover the damage caused by the pipe bursting, but will not cover the actual pipe. Have you ever had a frozen pipe in your home?
