Haslam urges caution when thawing frozen pipes

By Joshua Scheer, reporter, county10.com

(Fremont County, Wyo.) – Fremont County Fire Protection District Chief Craig Haslam is asking residents and businesses to exercise caution when working to thaw frozen pipes.

With the extreme cold weather the county has experience this week, Haslam wants to be sure individuals are thawing their pipes in a safe manner.

According to the National Weather Service officer in Riverton, the city hit a low of -7 early this morning. Lander’s low was 0. Data for Dubois wasn’t readily available.

“A lot of people use an open torch,” Haslam said. “That’s very dangerous.”

Haslam noted that open flames used to thaw pipes underneath a residence can catch the structure on fire.

Instead, Haslam suggests frozen pipes be thawed by using either a hair dryer or approved heat tape. He said heat tape was the most effective method and can be purchased at area hardware stores. Heat tape is essentially an electrified cables used to keep warm or thaw pipes.

As regularly suggested, Haslam said running a slow stead stream of water from indoor faucets will help deter the freezing of pipes.