How to Prevent Pipes from Bursting
and time of the year. While you don’t need to worry about frozen
pipes during the warm summer months, the cool winter months in Virginia
often bring freezing temperatures—which means you need
to protect the plumbing in your Virginia Beach home.
A
burst pipe
results in very costly repairs. Let’s take a look
at what causes
a pipe to burst and how you can prevent your pipes
from bursting this winter.
What Causes a Pipe to Burst?
Have you ever put a soda in the freezer and
forgotten about it? When you
went back to your freezer, you probably found the
soda exploded after
freezing and bursting through the can. Similarly,
water expands when frozen.
However, a burst pipe is not a result of frozen
water expanding against
the pipe. When a pipe freezes, it forces the water
pressure between the
freezing point and the closed faucet to
significantly increase. In most
cases, a pipe bursts where no ice is found, but
rather where the water
pressure inside the pipe is the greatest.
Pipes often freeze when:
- Temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit
- Located outside of an insulated building
- Located in unheated internal areas (basements, attics, crawl spaces, etc.)
Keep reading to learn how to prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting.
Tips to Prevent Your Pipes from Bursting
In order to save yourself hundreds of dollars in
future repairs, be sure
to take the proper precautions to help avoid a
burst pipe.
Never Expose Pipes to Cold Temperatures
If you live in the Virginia Beach area, never
exposing your pipes to cold
temperatures is probably impossible. However, if
you are building a new
home, consider designing your plumbing so that
pipes are only located
in insulated or heated areas of the house.
Completely Drain Outdoor Pipes
When closing your pool or when you are finished
with your automatic sprinkler
system for the year, be sure to follow
manufacturer instructions on how
to properly—and completely—drain
any outdoor pipe system. This includes in-ground
and above-ground pools,
automatic sprinkler systems, outdoor Jacuzzis,
hoses, etc. It is also
important to never put antifreeze into any pipes,
as this can cause damage
to your existing system and add unhealthy elements
to your water supply.
Pipe Sleeves
Many companies make pipe sleeves to prevent a pipe
from bursting. Like
a sweater on a person, pipe sleeves wrap around
the outside of a pipe,
keeping the pipe warmer when located in an
unheated or outdoor location.
For a quick, DIY pipe sleeve, wrap newspaper
(approximately a quarter
of an inch thick) around your pipes.
American Mechanical, Inc. Repairs Burst Pipes in Virginia Beach
Even if precautionary steps are taken to prevent a
burst pipe during the
winter months, there is no guarantee they will
work. If you live in the
Virginia Beach area and need an experienced
plumber to
repair a burst pipe
, call American Mechanical, Inc.
or contact us online.