During the cold temperatures, it is understandable if you are concerned about your pipes bursting. The cold weather in the winter can cause pipes to freeze and burst, which can cause flooding and expensive water damage to your business or home. It’s important that you take preventive measures before and during winter to reduce the risk of frozen and bursting pipes.
Causes
It’s obvious that water begins to freeze when it gets cold enough. But what causes the pipes to actually burst if they have frozen water inside them? There are a couple of reasons really. The first reason is because when water freezes, it expands. As it expands, the pipe will eventually give way.
The next reason is due to pressure increase. In some cases, the ice doesn’t always break the pipe when it expands. It sometimes expands along the pipe lengthwise and adds more pressure on water that isn’t frozen. Since liquids aren’t that great at compressing, any weakness in the pipe is targeted by the pressure and eventually leads to a pipe burst or break.
Risks
It only takes a couple seconds for an uninsulated extremely hot heating pipe to come in contact with bare skin and cause severe burns. In some cases, injuries could be so severe that it requires hospitalization.
Water can be very damaging. A pipe that bursts can result in flooding and damage all the floors in your home. It can soak paneling, framework, carpet, flooring drywall and yes, even the ceiling. If this water spill isn’t cleaned up adequately, it can lead to mold.
Prevention
As a homeowner or commercial property owner, you can take steps to prevent damage to your pipes by insulating them. The thicker you insulate them the more they will be protected from freezing. Also, if you live in a location that gets really cold, you should let your faucets drip during the night and leave the cabinet doors open to expose the uninsulated pipes to heat. Ensure the pipes in your attic or crawl space are insulated as well. Further, if you plan on going on an extended trip, make sure your home is adequately heated.
Not matter how many preventative measures you take, a pipe burst could still happen. Because of this, it is important that you have homeowners insurance and commercial property insurance to help pay for the damages.
