How to Thaw a Drain

Frozen drainpipes are a common occurrence where the climate is cold. The hardest part about thawing them out is gaining access to where the drain is frozen. A frozen drain is more common on a home that has a crawl space such as a mobile home or a house with no basement. This is due largely to the lack of proper insulation around the pipe. PVC pipes are much easier to thaw than galvanized pipes. This is because thawing the metal drains will require much more heat than the PVC.

Things You'll Need

• Space heater

Instructions

1. Locate the frozen area of the drainpipe. Block of any access to the pipe that the outside air has to it.

2. Place a space heater next to the frozen area of the pipe. Plug the electrical cord into an electrical outlet.

3. Turn the space heater on and allow it to heat the frozen pipe. If the pipes are PVC, take care not to allow the heater to make the pipe too hot.

4. Wait about 10 minutes and then check to see that the pipe is beginning to drain. Remove the heater from the location once the thawing is complete.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider adding pipe insulation to your drainpipes and your water pipes to prevent freezing.

• Never leave a space heater unattended when thawing your drainpipes. Never use a propane torch under the house or trailer when you are thawing drainpipes.

References

• USA Plumbing: Thawing Frozen Drain Pipes
• Acme How To: How to Thaw Frozen Pipes