Thawing frozen pipes as quickly as possible is extremely important. However, as important as it is to unthaw the pipes you need to thaw them in the correct manner.

This is why you need to ensure that you follow proper procedures so that you don't end up making the problem worse than it already is. Pipes that burst can flood out your home and leave you with expensive restoration costs. Here are some tips that will help you to unfreeze your pipes quickly and safely.

Use a Hair Dryer

The first step to unfreezing your pipe is to open the faucet that the pipe sent water into. Make sure you have open both the hot and cold handles. You can then get a hairdryer and point it at the pipe. Start at the section that is closest to the faucet. Try to prevent the hairdryer from coming into contact with water, since this can be dangerous.

Hot Towels Can Help

If the hairdryer method does not appeal to you then you can use hot towels instead. Dip the towels in some hot water. After that, simply wrap the hot towels around the frozen pipes. This will remove the blockage slowly.  If the towels get too cold you can just dip them in the hot water again.

Electrical Heating Tape

If you noticed that you consistently have a problem with frozen pipes it is a good idea to invest in some electrical heating tape. You can keep this available so that whenever your pipes freeze you will quickly have a way to thaw them.

To use this method simply apply the electrical heating tape onto the pipe. The tape will distribute the heat throughout the pipe. This is a quick and effective method of getting the job done.

Turn the Thermostat Up

For pipes that are not exposed, you can try increasing the heat in the home. Turn the thermostat up to a higher temperature and then see if this will have to melt the blockage in the pipes. In conjunction with this method, you can use an infrared lamp and point it to the section of the wall where the pipes are located.

The sooner you can get frozen pipes thawed out the better. Frozen pipes can burst at any time leaving behind significant water damage. Follow the advice given here as closely as possible and you should be able to avoid water damage to your home. Speak with a residential plumber in your area.

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