How to Defrost Pipelines in a Mobile Home

Turn off the main water supply to the mobile home to prevent more water from entering the system. Turn on the water taps throughout the house to help you find the frozen area and release some of the pressure.

Find the area of the pipe that has frozen. Check the most exposed areas such as pipes under the mobile home or along the outside walls first since they are most likely to freeze. If water comes out of the spigots on the north side of the house but not the south, this indicates the line toward the south is where the blockage occurred. If no water comes out of the faucets at all, begin checking right where the main line enters the house. Touch the pipes to determine their temperature. A very cold spot is likely filled with ice.

Apply moderate heat to the suspected frozen section by wrapping a heating pad around it, running the air from a hair dryer across it, setting a small heater nearby or pulling warm towels around the pipe. Commercial heat tape also works, but choose tape specifically labeled for use in mobile homes. The trick is to warm the pipe gradually since changing the temperature too quickly such as by using a propane torch can cause the pipe to explode. In a mobile home, such high heat also may damage the pipes even if they do not burst. If a large section of pipe is frozen, work from the area closest to the house outward to help keep the pressure down.

Keep applying heat and leave the faucets open until the entire pipe is completely cleared of ice and water again runs freely.