How to Defrost Pier and Beam House Pipes

A house with a pier and beam foundation has a crawl space underneath the home. Builders install water pipes in the crawl space. The drawback to this construction method is that the water pipes are exposed to very cold air, depending on the climate. If the pipes in your pier and beam foundation have frozen, you'll have to access the crawl space under your home to thaw them.

Extension cord
Hair dryer
Heating pad
Towels
Pipe insulation sleeves

Instructions

- 1
  Turn on the faucet that's connected to the frozen pipe. If you're unsure of which faucet this is, turn on all the faucets. A faucet that doesn't run water or that emits very little water is connected to a frozen pipe.
- 2
  Plug an extension cord into an exterior outlet. Plug a hair dryer into the extension cord and bring it under your crawl space.
- 3
  Turn the hair dryer on and aim it at the frozen pipe to thaw the water. Alternatively, wrap an electric heating pad around the pipe. If you have neither of these items, wrap the pipe in hot towels. You'll have to unwrap the towels frequently to reheat them. Continue applying heat until all water flows freely from all of your faucets.
- 4
  Insert pipe insulation sleeves over all the pipes in your crawl space. Exposed pipes in a pier and beam foundation can quickly refreeze if they lack insulation. An insulation sleeve for pipes has a slit running down its length. Fit the pipe into this opening.

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Plumbing