Frozen Toilet Pipes

[broadwille]

Please help!

One of our toilets froze up last night. It won't flush. What is a safe way to thaw it out? Can I put warm water in the toilet bowl? I think that hot water might crack the bowl.

Actually we got them unfrozen once (and we checked the water meter. It didn't look like we had a leak - but we're really concerned now.) We had below 0 again last night! Frozen again!! We're having very unusual weather here in Arkansas! Our homes probably just aren't made for this. We are in our 70's and we can't crawl under the house.

Thanking you in advance!

 

[Gary Swart]

You are right, do not pour hot water into the bowl. The problem is not in the toilet itself anyway, it is the water supply pipe coming to the toilet. It is likely frozen under the house or in an outside wall. A plumber can thaw the pipes quickly. When you can, get someone to see what can be done to prevent this in the future. Hard to suggest much without seeing what you have.