There’s a high probability of faucets getting frozen during the winter seasons. However, it also depends on the temperature of the surroundings of your home. If the pipes don’t get enough access to heat, faucets can quickly freeze and block water flow.
Can the kitchen faucet freeze?
Yes, kitchen faucets can freeze if the temperature goes under 20 degrees. It generally depends on geographical location and how much temperature fluctuates in that area. The Pipes, located in a crawlspace or your yards, and family garages, can freeze and block the water flow to your faucets.
Table of Contents
Water can freeze in-home pipes due to a lot of reasons. Most of them are primarily due to a thermostatic failure or faulty taping. The worst scenario is when it bursts the pipe and causes severe leakage.
However, you can definitely take some precautions to avoid such situations. Start by looking for cracks, water pipes that are frozen, or any leakage. You can also check the pressure while turning the kitchen faucets on.
Frozen faucets can bring a lot of problems. Decreasing temperature also adds to the freeze faucet. In harsh weather, no remedies work due to minus temperature. An excellent recommendation would be to monitor the water and check the water lines connected through the exposed part of the house.
While heating can be a perfect solution, make sure that it does not cause any fire when it comes to heating sources, it’s always wise to stay alert and check to prevent kitchen faucets getting frozen.
At what temperature do faucets freeze?
Generally, the temperature has to be under 20 degrees to freeze. You should always monitor it if your weather keeps fluctuating. It takes at least a total of six hours to freeze when the temperature keeps dropping.
Always make sure to turn the water lines off after the threat of freezing weather.
How do you unfreeze a faucet?
If you have frozen pipes in your kitchen faucet, it can be a real problem as it blocks the running water. In that case, your chores will be interrupted to a great extent. However, without a plumber’s notice, you can unfreeze your faucet within an hour or a half.
Unfreezing a frozen water pipe is an essential task. However, it is necessary to unfreeze the frozen pipe correctly. Never try to unfreeze a faucet with the help of an open flame.
Using an open flame can damage the pipe and also start a fire on your property. In that, it’ better safe than being sorry.
Three ways you can unfreeze a faucet:
Locating the frozen pipe:
At first, leave the faucet turned on and let the water flow into the faucet. This will help the ice to unfreeze, making it easier for your convenience.
The first job is locating a frozen pipe. Turn on the faucets to check through which pipe water isn’t coming out, and you can quickly identify which line has been blocked.
If you have access to blockage of the water pipes, you can quickly thaw the pipe. If water lines are open, suppose, at the exterior part of the house, you can easily detect the frozen amount.
Once you detect the frozen water lines, you turn them on and let the water run through the basin, and your job is done.
Opening outside faucets:
Seal all cracks to keep cold air from outside entering your home. Make sure to open external faucets to allow a small amount of water to flow to prevent freezing.
Though it might sound quite absurd, using a hairdryer is a perfect solution to warm the faucet and help the melting ice convert fully into running water.
However, you can also use a heating pad or lamp. Wrap a towel heated with the heating pad and cover it on the pipe, and it should work as an alternative.
Use a blow dryer to help deforest frozen pipes. This is safer than using an open flame.
When you are applying a heat source, there is a high possibility of getting into a fire accident. So you should follow the safety instructions and never leave the dryer unattended.
The pressure of water has to be balanced to make it running again. In that case, continue heating the faucet until the pressure is stabilized.
Searching for any cracks:
If the temperature keeps decreasing, there is a high chance of faucets getting frozen. On that note, different cracks in the water pipe add to the troubles.
Freezing water can run through the cracks and cause blockage by converting into ice, causing a partition between both ends of the pipe.
Search at the back of the pipes to figure out any leakage or cracks. Close the primary valve off. Calling a plumber is highly recommended to replace the pipes. Otherwise, you yourself can fix it and thus can unfreeze it yourself.
How to prevent the faucet from freezing?
Unfreezing a faucet isn’t a difficult task. However, prevention is always better than cure. In that case, consider knowing a few steps to prevent your faucet from freezing.
If your water pipe in your faucet is working slower than usual, then there might be a possibility that the faucet might get frozen. However, don’t worry about it because you can easily prevent it from frozen with some home remedies.
All you need to follow is just a few steps to prevent unfreezing your faucet.
Step-1: Using towels to wrap the faucet:
Towels or newspapers can come in handy for a quick fix. Adding insulation is the first line of defense, and using a towel or newspaper can be an excellent preventive measure.
Step-2: Allowing warmer air into the cabinet:
Allowing warmer air into the cabinet through pipelines near the exterior part of the home can help prevent freezing.
Step-3: Heating your home:
You can use space heaters if possible. Make sure you don’t use anything that is flammable and can cause a fire.
Step-4: Make sure the water is running:
The most straightforward precaution is to check whether the water is running at its average speed.
Step-5: Calling a plumber if needed:
If the work seems a bit difficult, you can take the help of a licensed plumber and get it done.
Check for any water pipe leakage. As long as you keep heating, the ice will melt, and your faucet will be unfrozen.
Do all faucets need to drip to prevent freezing?
It’s entirely okay if you leave some of your faucets on to prevent freezing. However, you should always check the water pressure so that you don’t run out of water. Five drops per minute is a good remedy for preventing freezing.
Let the cold water drip from the faucets when the weather becomes too cold to survive. Running water through the pipe and using a few tricks can help you to prevent taps from freezing.
If you want to leave one faucet running, leave the faucet farthest from your water pipe dripping. It will gather the water throughout the entire house.
How many faucets should I let drip to prevent freezing?
Leaving a single cold water pipe dripping should be enough to prevent dripping. Leaving all the faucets at a time might cost you a lot later and run a water crisis in your community.
Leave the farthest faucet dripping and make sure the pipe plumbing is okay to go. Otherwise, you can go through a severe problem with the plumbing system.
Please always remember to install the thermostat, which controls the central heating system of your house. You should turn on your heater when temperatures fall under 20 degrees so that water pipes within your home remain safe.
Should I leave the faucet open if the pipes are frozen?
Yes, you can leave the faucet open if the pipes are frozen. Leave the faucet and let water drip for the ice to melt. Make sure you control the water pressure and don’t burst it at all.
As you keep the faucet open, water will run through the pipe, expediting the thawing process. If necessary, you can also apply heat to the part of the pipe that is frozen.
A frozen faucet isn’t that a big problem if you are aware of the precautions and remedies. Just make sure to monitor the pipelines and keep heating them until the ice melts. Like always, in any doubt, remember we are just a knock away to solve your problems instantly.