A Frozen Water Pipe Burst Can Cause Flooding

Posted on: February 13, 2016 by in Uncategorized
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copper pipe burst by iceSometimes something as simple as a burst pipe can cause major water damage in a home or business. Cold water pipes are connected to the mains supply pressure, and if a pipe splits then high pressure water can soon flood an enclosed area.

Frozen Pipes
In areas like our own in Long Island, winters bring freezing weather, often accompanied by snow and ice. If a water line of length of pipe contains standing water, then it is at risk from freezing in sub zero temperatures. Many pipes have insulation wraps to help prevent freezing, but sometimes a section of pipe may be exposed to freezing temperatures. Often un-insulated pipes are located in an attic or basement, which are not heated. Over 35% of all frozen pipe failures occur in a basement. If a home or business owner is away from the property for a while, the burst may be undetected for a period of time, and it does not take long before a split water line discharges hundreds of gallons of water.

Why does a frozen pipe burst?
The science behind a burst pipe is down to the properties of water. Sounds simple, but actually water is a not a normal substance. Most liquids expand when heated and contract when cooled, but water has some really unique properties. As you would expect, water contracts as it cools down from room temperature to just above freezing (39 degrees Fahrenheit), but then, unlike any other substance it starts to expand. What happens is that the water molecules (H2O) form themselves into a hexagonal crystal structure, which takes up more space than if the molecules were just at random. In fact frozen water expands by 9% more than when in liquid form.

So when standing water is trapped in a water line, then when it ices up, it will expand by 9%. If the water is trapped, say be a faucet at one end and a valve at the other, then the only way for it to expand is inside the pipe, and often the ice will split a pipe run, or crack through a soldered joint. Ice can protrude quite a way outside a pipe, and may be unnoticed. However when the temperature warms up, the ice melts, and water starts to pour out of the split. See the picture for a copper pipe that was burst by water freezing.
Since the location of a vulnerable water line is often out of sight, the initial damage may not be noticed. If a pipe bursts in the attic or basement, it may be some time before you notice and then the first you know is when a bulge appears in a ceiling or water is inches deep in the basement. The amount of water loss from a badly burst pipe in your house can be as much as 100 gallons per hour. This means if you were away for a full twenty four hours you could have up to 2,400 gallons of water in your home from a burst pipe.

What Do I do if a Pipe has Burst?
If there has been a significant amount of water loss from a water line, then professional water mitigation and professionals with specialized drying equipment may be needed. A professional restoration company can extract the water, and perform structural drying to ensure that mold growth does not occur, and your home is restored to its pre-loss condition.