What Do I Do for Frozen Pipes?

Q: Recently the weather dropped below freezing for a few days. When we came home from work, we noticed we had no water coming from our kitchen sink. I checked all other faucets, and they are fine. Is there a way to unthaw the pipes without having to tear into the wall?

A: There is no easy solution or quick fix for frozen pipes. The wall where the pipe is frozen needs to be heated from both sides (tented on the outside if necessary).

The real problem lies in the fact that if the pipe is frozen it is more than likely cracked also. So, once defrosted you're left with a broken and flooding pipe in the wall.

You need to call a professional plumber who will more than likely need to open the wall from one side, find the frozen area, defrost it, repair the crack and test it.

Then you will need to insulate the pipe and wall cavity and patch the wall. The problem will persist in all uninsulated exterior wall cavities where pipe is run, so plan ahead and schedule the work to start this spring.

Kathy Maynard has been matching homeowners with home improvement contractors since 1990 and has written scores of articles advising homeowners how to find, hire and work with reputable service professionals. She also authors Weekend Warrior, a weekly home improvement column in The Sacramento Bee.