Welcome back to ‘What’s Your Eddy IQ?’ This week we asked: Don’t attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off – True or False?
The answer is … True.
As we have discussed in earlier posts, pipes that aren’t insulated tend to freeze when the temperature dips. Yet in some cases, even though you may have taken preventative measures to safe guard your home, frigid winter nights can still cause ice formation around pipes and may result in ruptures and leaks. So, what is the first thing you should do when that happens? That’s right – shut off the water supply, before a leak or burst can cause water damage to your homes.
Here’s our Eddy DIY Winter Guide that you can follow when your pipes freeze:
- First thing first, shut off the water supply to your home immediately.
- Start thawing the pipes by warming the air around the frozen pipe. After that apply heat directly to the pipe.
- You may use a hair dryer, space heater, or hot water. Do not use kerosene heaters or open flames to thaw pipes – as they are extremely hazardous.
- Pipes warmed too fast may break. Therefore, thaw the surface area of the frozen pipes slowly. Do not rush the thawing process!
- When you have finished thawing the frozen pipe, turn the water back on slowly. In addition, ensure that you check for any cracks and leaks right away.
- In addition, you can always install a Smart Water Meter system like the Eddy IQ to help you prevent these unseen and expensive ordeals.
Quick tips on how to winter- proof your home
For further information on frozen pipes and their devastating consequences, take a look at our most recent blog post, “Avoiding Frozen Pipes this Cold Season – Are You at Risk?” .
About Eddy
Eddy is an industry leader in leak protection and water visibility solutions. Our suite of smart products offers a comprehensive water management system for homeowners that protects, controls, and conserves. Our products have saved thousands of customers millions of litres of water by continuously monitoring water usage in their home, and if something unusual is detected, alerting them to the issue. For more details, please contact us at 1 877 388 3339 or email info@eddyhome.com.
