Today we have received several calls regarding frozen pipes. Just because your pipes are frozen does not necessarily mean they are going to break, but there is a real possibility.
If you turn on the water but nothing comes out, your pipes may be frozen. There is nothing that can be done until the pipes have thawed out. Here are the steps you should follow when this happens:
- Contact your local plumber (404-370-0999) and get on their "frozen list." This will help speed you along if something does happen to break.
- Try to isolate an area with a safe heat source such as a ceramic heater. Open up any cabinets doors, indoor access panels, ceiling tiles, etc. You may use a typical household hair dryer but please DO NOT use a heat gun as it could catch any surrounding wood or insulation on fire.
- Now is a good time to find out where your shut off valves are. There is a shut off at the meter which is located near the street. To turn the water off here, you will need a water key or a pair of pliers/channel locks. You can pick up a water key at your local hardware or home store. There should also be a whole house isolation valve in the basement/crawl space of your home. Not all homes have these. If you do have one it will either be a lever looking handle or a round sprocket looking thing. The round sprocket looking thing you will turn "righty tighty." The lever handle will be turned perpendicular to the line. You will need to know where these are just in case the pipes break.
- If the pipe thaws and no issue results, congratulations on your Matrix-style bullet dodging. If a break or leak materializes, simply turn the water off to the house to minimize water damage then call your local plumber back and you will be moved to the Emergency list.
Unfortunately, our offices are closed evenings and weekends. We expect to have several calls of this nature over the weekend and we don't want our dear clients to panic. We will not be able to respond until Monday, but you are welcome to call and leave your information so we can add you to the list. If we have several issues, we will be in "triage" mode. All scheduled appointments for Monday will be notified that their appointment may be bumped for a freeze emergency.
