What to know about thawing frozen pipes

Published on February 19, 2021

Now that the snow and ice are thawing, so are the frozen pipes. Take time to look for clues that could indicate problems before they cause greater damage to your home and office.

Fort Worth Water provided these tips:

• Water spots on the ceiling and walls could indicate a broken pipe is starting to leak.
• Try to be home as pipes are thawing. You don’t want to leave and come home to a flooded home. The minute you see that a pipe has burst, shut the water off to the home.
• Try to shut water off at the private shutoff valve, likely located in the landscaping at the front of the house. If you don’t know where it is, start looking now. Be ready.
• If you have to shut the valve at the meter, call Fort Worth Water. Staff members are responding to emergency shutoff requests and can walk you through the process over the phone. Call customer service at 817-392-4477.
• If the pipes inside are thawed, go ahead and release the air from lines by turning on both the hot and cold knobs at all sinks and bathtubs. That sputtering sound you hear is normal. It means the air is being released from the pipes.
• As pipes thaw, listen for running water inside and outside the home. Make sure you are walking to each faucet to check. If you don’t have time to wait, turn off the faucet.
• Once regular pressure returns, go ahead and turn the faucets off.