Be Ready: What To Do If Your Pipes Freeze In Amarillo Tonight

Tonight temperatures in Amarillo are going to be brutally cold. The low is forecast to be barely above zero, and the wind chill is supposed to be near -9. It's going to be dangerous, and you need to make sure you're prepared. If you should find yourself with frozen pipes, here is what you need to do.

What To Do If Your Pipes Freeze In Amarillo Tonight

If you find yourself with frozen pipes because of the frigid cold we're supposed to have, there are a few steps you can take to remedy the situation, or at least cut down on the damage until a plumber can get there.

The first thing you want to do is turn off the water. Find your shut-off valve and turn it off. Find the faucet nearest the frozen pipe, and turn it on. Next, you'll want to grab a hair dryer.

Use the hair dryer or a space heater on the pipe to thaw it out. I've had to do this before on more than one occasion, and it can take a little while. Don't be in any big rush. Also, don't use anything silly like a blowtorch to try and thaw the pipe. That's just going to lead to disaster.

Once the pipe is thawed, slowly turn your water back on and keep an eye open for leaks.

• Step 1: Turn off water using main shut-off valve
• Step 2: Turn on faucet nearest frozen pipe
• Step 3: Use hair dryer or something similar (not a blowtorch) to thaw the pipe
• Step 4: Slowly turn water back on and look for leaks

After You've Turned The Water Back On And Checked For leaks; Make The Call

You'll still want to call a plumber and have them come check your pipes just to be on the safe side. One winter, I didn't follow this step and it wound up costing me big time. There were issues caused by the pipe freezing that they would have caught before they became a major problem.

It's going to be nasty tonight with the cold temperatures. Stay safe and take care of yourself.