Winters can be harsh on water pipes, especially when you live in a mobile home. Unlike a foundation house, mobile homes' pipes are exposed to the elements. Often the only thing protecting the pipes from the outside is a plastic or metal skirting around the mobile home.
Once water pipes freeze, it is important to thaw them out quickly before they burst. It takes time, but water pipes in a mobile home can be thawed safely by the homeowner. Does this Spark an idea?
Inspect the Pipes
When you know the pipes have frozen, inspect them before attempting to thaw them out. When water freezes it expands, and this expansion could cause cracks in your pipes. Turn off the main water supply. The shut-off valve is usually under the home, next to the main water line. Check the line thoroughly and replace any that are damaged.
Turn on the Water
Go under the mobile home and turn on the main water supply to the mobile home. After doing that, go inside and turn on all the water faucets. Turning the water faucets on will help to unfreeze the pipes quicker as the melted water will flow, breaking up ice chunks.
Heat The Pipes
There is a multitude of ways to heat the pipes and thaw them out. Do not use a propane torch because it can melt the PVC and cause more damage. Also, the use of open flame underneath a mobile home could ignite loose insulation or other materials.
Rent a torpedo heater like ones used on construction sites from a well-stocked hardware store. These types of heaters have a strong blower and are safe to use under a mobile home.
Another way to thaw your pipes is to use a hair dryer. Usually, there is an electrical outlet near the main water supply pipe to the mobile home. Plug the hair dryer in at that outlet and start heating the main pipe. This may take 30 minutes to an hour, but in most cases this is the area where the blockage is. If you do not have a hair dryer, a space heater will work. Use a space heater with a grounding plug and do not leave it unattended.
After the Pipes Thaw
After the water has thawed, turn off the all the faucets except for one. Allow cold water to run for about five minutes to remove and break up any ice chunks that remain in the line. When the water is flowing well, turn the faucet off.
Act Before They Freeze
To keep the pipes from freezing in the first place, add an electrical heat tape or heat cable to your main pipe. This wraps around your pipes and plugs into the electrical outlet nearby.
The idea of keeping a dripping faucet to prevent water pipes from freezing is not necessarily a good one. Although you might prevent the water line from freezing, you could inadvertently cause your drainage line to freeze.
Tags: mobile home, main water, water pipes, from freezing, hair dryer
