If you find you have a frozen pipe in your home or business, you should immediately take steps to thaw the pipe to keep it from bursting.

First, open the faucet so that water will flow through the pipe once the area is melted. This will help melt more ice. Next, apply heat with a hair dryer or an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe. Keep all sources of heat away from flammable materials and do not use any open flame devices. Also, do not use devices that will cause the melted ice to boil, as that can also cause pipe to break.

Call a licensed plumber if you cannot locate the frozen section, you are unable to reach it or you are unable to thaw it. Check for other frozen pipes in your home or business, especially those pipes that are located along an exterior wall or bring the water into the building at the foundation. Also, to prevent pipes from freezing in the first place, you may want to install foam sleeves for insulation. These may be purchased at your local home improvement store.

For emergency service inside your home contact a licensed plumber. Call the DC WASA 24-hour emergency hotline at 202-612-3400 for water emergencies on public property.

Content derived from American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/static/file_cont338_lang0_155.pdf