how do i thaw my frozen water pipes?

Question

i live in a trailer. somewhere under the trailer my water pipes have frozen i have checked my heat wrap and it is working. i have opened all the cupboards in my trailer to allow heat to get to the pipes on the inside hoping to warm them. i have also put a small space heater under the trailer next to the area the main pipes are located and nothing is working. i live on a very meager income and very fearful that the will bust. if this happens i have no money left over after paying the bills to lives here to fix them. so if some could please tell me what to besides what i am doing. would greatly appreicate it.

Answer 1

This happens to me all the time. Until I can afford the funds to pemanantly fix the problem, I use a 60,000 BTU Ready Heater. Be sure that the skirting around the whole trailer is intact. Remove one piece of the skirting (I removed the piece closest to the main lines) and placed the Ready Heater infront of the piece of skirting I had removed. If the rest of the skirting around the traier is adequately intact, your pipes should be thawed in as little as 10 minutes. Remember though, these are not small heaters used to raise temperatures in living rooms. So don't put it too close to the vinyl (atleast a foot or more). Don't forget to unplug any electrical cords or heaters that may be undeneath. Hope this works out for you as well as it did for me.
-Bill-

Answer 2

So far you've done a lot of good things. Open the water tap and then go underneath with a hair dryer. Start warming the pipe from where it goes into your trailer for the tap you opened, and work you way back to where it comes from the ground. This way as the ice thaws, it has somewhere safe to go, out the open tap. (If you thaw a frozen pipe in the middle to aggressively, you might stress it enough to crack it.)

Long term you need to add more pipe insulation or verify that your tape is working. Or maybe it is frozen right where it comes up from the ground, but before it is prootected by your heat tape?

Answer 3

Something else I didn't see mentioned: turn off the water at the main shut off valve before you start defrosting.

WORK FROM THE FAUCETS TO THE SOURCE OF THE WATER TO PREVENT THE PIPES OR JOINTS FROM BURSTING.

And be patient don't apply too much heat too long to a small area.

Work during the day when it may be a little warmer.

Try not to use a heat gun (hot enough to start a fire) or a torch (do I have to explain?)

Good luck and keep warm!

Answer 4

you can try a heat gun or blow dryer (just be careful to keep an eye on because it could start a fire if unattended), sometimes it takes quite a while for them to thaw. I know years ago I lived in a trailer and it took the better part of a day one time to get the pipes to thaw..........good luck!!

Answer 5

prior to a deep freeze you need to let your water run. Try a heat lamp directed to the lowest point of your main water supply that leads inside the trailer.

Answer 6

I was going to suggest a hair dryer also, but I would be very careful using the space heater. There has been many a tragedy involving trailer fires and space heaters. I would check on it VERY often if you continue using it. PLEASE be very careful!!!!

Answer 7

Heat gun. Blow dryer. NO TORCH. It takes a while for them to thaw. Insulate the pipes after you've thawed them.

Answer 8

well, my aunt used to live in a trailer and when i would go over there she would pour hot water over them, or she would tell her husband to get off his butt and do sumthin bout it..haha

Answer 9

water it with warm water for 30min

Answer 10

Blow dryer