Comments on: Look at this FAQ on a Frozen Toilet Pipe

By: jim1

jim1 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:30:59 +0000

remove as much water as you can by what ever means you have available then ad water that is as hot as you can get it
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By: William R

William R — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:55:59 +0000

You need to get some heat on the pipe to begin to thaw it out. I am assuming that the pipe is cast iron? Cast iron pipe will crack under the expansion of the ice if it has not done so already. Some soil pipes run on the outside of the home, BAD IDEA, but easy to heat. I would say that the problem is somewhere close to the toilet in question and was most likely clogged before it froze up. Try a blow dryer from the top side and soak up the thawed ice as you go. It.s not going to easy and it will be messy but if your lucky the pipe didn’t crack and you’ll be back running soon. Check to see if the pipe is getting into a draft from outside someplace. If it is outside then you can wrap it or box it in when it gets warmer outside. usually drain pipes won’t freeze since they don’t have standind water in them and are usually empty. Thats why I think it was already clogged.
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30 years as contractor

By: foxychick24

foxychick24 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:37:59 +0000

To prevent this from occurring, always make sure your heat is maintained. Also the most important thing right now is to try to remove all the water from the floor in a timely manner to avoid any mold or mildew accumulation. Try a plumbing snake I guess. I can't think of anything else. Just a suggestion.
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By: Corky R

Corky R — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:06:59 +0000

Need more info. Does this drain run into cement, in an crawl space, in a basement with no heat, ???? Seems extremely odd that two toilets draining into the same system would get only one frozen line. Seems much more likely that there may be a plug at the "Y" junction where the two lines meet, or before. I'd have the line snaked and go from there. If it is in an unheated area, then the obvious solution would be to get heat in there somehow, heat tapes, kero htr., elec. heater, something.
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