Place a small ceramic space heater facing the frozen section of the pipe. Do not leave it unattended. It may take 2-4 hours, but the warm air circulates safely without risking melting the plastic.
If you have PVC or ABS plastic pipes and you know exactly where the blockage is (usually an uninsulated exterior wall or a crawlspace), you can try to thaw it yourself.
On extreme "polar vortex" nights, run a tiny trickle of water through the fixture farthest from the street. Moving water takes much longer to freeze than standing water. However, remember that if the waste pipe is frozen, this will just fill your tub.
Place a small ceramic space heater facing the frozen section of the pipe. Do not leave it unattended. It may take 2-4 hours, but the warm air circulates safely without risking melting the plastic.
If you have PVC or ABS plastic pipes and you know exactly where the blockage is (usually an uninsulated exterior wall or a crawlspace), you can try to thaw it yourself.
On extreme "polar vortex" nights, run a tiny trickle of water through the fixture farthest from the street. Moving water takes much longer to freeze than standing water. However, remember that if the waste pipe is frozen, this will just fill your tub.
