Thawing frozen pipes

In the winter months of the year, it is not uncommon for indoor and outdoor plumbing fixtures to become frozen through due to cold conditions. Frozen pipes reduce or eliminate water flow completely and may be cause for serious concern. If you find that your pipe has frozen through, you may want to consider hiring a professional plumbing service to help you thaw it out. In many cases, a plumber will use an infrared lamp to warm the pipe without causing damage like a melted or cracked pipe. If the pipe looks as though it has already cracked, the plumber will immediately shut off water supply to prevent flooding when the pipe is thawed again. While the thawing process is gradual and may be slow, it often prevents bursting and the need for pipe repair.