How to Melt Ice in a Shower Pipe
It’s no surprise that exposed water pipes can freeze in winter, but that danger exists for pipes inside your walls too. If the pipe is in an exterior wall, or if the temperature inside and outside drops too low, that pipe can freeze. Frozen pipes require immediate action because they can crack while thawing if you leave them alone. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Hair dryer
- Heat gun (optional)
- Warm towels
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Instructions
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Turn on your home heating, open any cabinet doors and keep the door to the bathroom open. If the shower is in a stall with a door of its own, open the door to increase the amount of airflow reaching the wall with the shower pipes.
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Turn on the shower. Although nothing will come out initially, of course, as the water melts, opening the shower valve allows it to drip out instead of building up in the pipe.
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Set a hair dryer on low and run it along any exposed portions of the pipe, such as the part between the wall and the showerhead. The Lincoln Water System in Lincoln, Nebraska, suggests using a heat gun set on low, but it cautions that both heat guns and hair dryers can set wall material and wood on fire if you aren’t careful.
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Run wet, warm towels along exposed piping.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have the tools and construction knowledge, open the shower wall to get to the pipe. If you rent your home, call the manager's emergency maintenance number or a plumber.
Don’t use a blowtorch or flames. Sattergren and the Lincoln Water System warn that these could set your home on fire. Truss & Son Plumbing in Lufkin, Texas, warns against using kerosene or propane heaters.
Take care of frozen pipes immediately. The Lincoln Water System says ice in the pipes will expand and place pressure on the sides of the pipe. The pipe can break and leak in weak spots.
