Frozen Pipes

[dland]

We are currently experience some temperatures well below freezing. In preparation for that, I wrapped all of my outside faucets with towels and let them drip. When I got up this morning one of them had a long icicle going from the faucet into the bucket it was dripping into. I broke the icicle off and put a hair dryer to the faucet to warm it up. However, when I turn the faucet on, nothing comes out. I have three other outside faucets and all of them are currently dripping and working fine. No icicles on those.

My question is how likely is it, given that this one faucet isn't working, that I have a burst pipe? All other faucets inside and outside the house are in working order. I don't see any water leaking from the walls or in the attic. What else should I look for? How would I know if I had a burst pipe?

We contacted a plumber and he just said that we wouldn't know until the pipe thawed out (we still have another day or two subfreezing temperatures). Obviously, I'd rather not verify the situation by finding water damage. Is there anything I can do to figure this out?

 

[SlowDrip]

It is most likely that there is still ice in the line causing a blockage. You could try running a small plastic line or thing gauge wire up into the opened faucet to see if it hits anything if you are really worried about it, but your plumber was correct and the only way to be sure is to wait for the lines to thaw.

Since you seem unused to pipe freezes I can only assume you are in an area where such things are uncommon, so most plumbers will not own a pipe thawer.

 

[dland]

Well, I poured a bunch of hot water on the faucet and eventually the clog freed up and the faucet appears to be working fine. I suppose it's still possible there is a rupture in the pipe but I don't hear anything in the wall and there is no sign of water leaking out. So hopefully I'm okay.

 

[havasu]

You can test by shutting off all water leading into the house and checking the water meter for movement. This should ease your mind.