Winter time is a dangerous time when it comes to the plumbing situation of any house. Houses that have poor insulation or are old can end up with frozen pipes. When this happens, it can be expensive and time consuming to fix. No one wants to end up with this problem so the best thing to do and first tip here is to try and prevent it from happening. The best way to do it is to wrap insulation around any exposed pipes. Also, keeping the water moving in the pipes will reduce its chances of freezing, so leave a trickle. Lastly, try to keep exterior walls with pipes warm so they will not have a chance to freeze. Sometimes, pipes freeze and it is too late to try and prevent anything anymore. When this happens, it’s important to know the proper way to thaw them. This leads to the second tip which is the correct unthawing process. First, all faucets should be opened to let out any water or air that needs to escape. If this is not done, it can lead to bursting pipes. Second, it’s very important not to warm up the pipes too quickly. This can also lead to a busted pipe. Be sure to warm slowly so as to avoid bursting pipes. The third tip for what to do if there are frozen pipes is to be aware of the different types of pipes there are and the corresponding methods for thawing them. For instance, plastic pipes are best thawed out with a hair dryer rather than a torch flame for obvious reasons. Many are surprised to find out the different types of pipes there actually are. Between copper, PVC, fibre conduit, cast iron and galvanized steel, there are a variety of different methods that would be good for one type and not for another. So do some research and be sure to take these tips into consideration.
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