The Nifty Trick Iowans Can Use If Your Pipes Freeze This Week

Wind chills will get well below zero this week.

It seems like we've had our share of cold snaps this winter and we're in the middle of another one. In fact, Extreme Cold Warnings and Cold Weather Advisories are coming into play.

Just look at this crap.

With actual temperature lows in the negatives this week and a few highs in the single digits, one thought that's probably crossed your mind: your pipes.

We know how to prevent our pipes from freezing: leave them dripping while you're not there (much to the delight of my cat), keep them wrapped up and warm if they're exterior, that kind of thing. Why? It's a lot less problematic and pricey than dealing with frozen pipes is.

What To Do If Your Pipes Freeze

Luckily, if your pipes do freeze, there are several steps you can take to fix that. Normally, it can take about 45 minutes for pipes to unfreeze, according to Nationwide.

First, turn on the faucet. Even if it's dripping only a bit, it might help curtail bursting. You also need to warm the pipe. What do experts suggest using?

Warm the pipe with a hairdryer.

You could also use "thermostatically controlled heat tape", but we don't have a ton of that just laying around. But a space heater would work as well. Don't use a propane torch to warm up the pipe obviously.

As any devout hairdryer user can confirm, some of them are more powerful than others so this could impact how long it takes to thaw the pipes. Don't let off of using the hairdryer until the full water pressure is restored.

Even then, experts suggest leaving the faucet open and running for a few minutes after the pipe is thawed to make sure any ice gets out of it.