Let a faucet drip to help prevent frozen plumbing.
Plumbing for a mobile home must be protected against freezing temperatures. It's wise to invest in the cost of durable piping materials and to insulate any portions of water pipes that have to be above ground. When freezing weather occurs, provide a safe heat source in areas where pipes must be exposed, and let water drip at a faucet indoors to help prevent freezing of pipes. If a frozen pipe emergency occurs despite such precautions, act quickly to prevent damage, avoid the need to call for a plumber, and restore your family's water supply. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Turn all faucets on. Water flow, even if it's a trickle, could aid in thawing the frozen pipe and help prevent more pipes from freezing. Turning the taps on will help to relieve pressure in pipes and help prevent frozen pipes from bursting if they aren't already broken. You also can pinpoint which pipes are frozen by seeing which faucets still run.
2. Locate the frozen pipe. If the home is occupied and has heat, the frozen portion of the pipe is somewhere outside, possibly under the mobile home. If there's only one place where pipe is exposed to cold, that's where the pipe is frozen. If you have a water well and you forgot to provide warmth in the well house, the problem could be out there and at the mobile home. Feel all of the pipes inside and outside the mobile home. If one pipe feels much colder than the others, that's the frozen one.
3. Apply electric heat tape to the frozen pipes if you have it or can get it quickly. According to the My Great Home website, heat tape reduces the possibility of damage to the pipe by allowing it to thaw slowly.
4. Warm the frozen pipe with an electric hairdryer. It's OK to do this even if you have already applied heat tape. It will speed up the thawing process a bit, but is not apt to damage the pipes. Keep the device and its extension cord away from moisture. Move the hairdryer constantly to apply warm air to the entire frozen section of pipe.
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