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What To Do If Pipe Bursts in Cold Weather?

What To Do If Pipe Bursts in Cold Weather

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Pipes convey water to the house so that we can use clean running water every day. Most of the time, the pipe is easily overlooked by us until a catastrophic event occurs – the pipe bursts in cold weather. 

There are many causes for burst pipes, such as blockages, water pressure, corrosion, etc.  In winter, when water freezes at low temperatures, it expands and exerts stronger lateral force, causing pipes to eventually buckle and split.

What to do with a frozen pipe? Generally speaking, one of the easiest ways to thaw a pipe is to heat the frozen pipe with a hairdryer or heat lamp.  However, if the frozen pipe gets worse and finally bursts, what should you do in this case? Here are some tips that can help you.

If the Pipe Burst in Cold Weather, What Should You Do?

People usually don’t know what to do when the pipe bursts in cold weather. But you need first to calm down and deal with a burst pipe step by step:

1. Turn off your water supply

Pipes are in all parts of your home, so you need to turn off the water at the main shut-off valve. Stopping the water flow can prevent more damage. The position of the water supply valve is usually on the front wall of the basement or in the ground of the yard. You can check it out at home.

2. Drain the system

After turning off the water supply, you need to open the faucet to drain the system. If not, the water in the pipe will still burst, which increases the risk of flooding. In addition, keeping the water flowing can prevent additional freezing or cracking in the line from water stuck in the pipes. This step is the key to the whole process, make sure you remember it.

3. Soak up excess water

Clean up excess water immediately, or the excessive water may soak your floor, especially the wooden floor. You can use mops, towels and vacuum with strong water absorption to soak up water, which is helpful for less damage and can prevent mold and mildew buildup.

4. Make sure your electrics are safe

Most importantly, turn off your electricity. When the pipe bursts, you should first keep yourself safe. Water blasting may be annoying, but electricity is dangerous. To prevent electric shock, turn off the electricity as soon as possible and stay away from areas with running electrical appliances before power is turned off.

5. Call a registered plumber

You need to call a registered plumber. There is some damage you may be able to clean by yourself, but in case of long-time problems, you’d better contact a professional to repair the broken pipe. Make sure you call a professional to fix the pipe in case the situation goes worse because of the incorrect operation.

How to Avoid Pipe Burst in Cold Weather?

The damage caused by pipe bursting can cost us a lot of money. Everyone should learn how to avoid pipe bursts in cold weather. After all, full preparation is the best prevention strategy. Here are some suggestions for you.

1. Choose the cold-resistant pipes

In cold winter, pipes can easily freeze in the house. You can turn it on and keep the water pipes running to prevent water from freezing. However, this will waste a lot of water, and you cannot ensure effective results at low temperatures. We advocate a more practical solution, which is to choose cold-resistant pipes.

Pipes with high cold resistance are strong enough to withstand the initial force of expansion at low temperatures, so the pipes do not crack easily. LESSO pipes with strong durability and high cold resistance are suitable for areas with cold winters.

2. Check your pipe on certain times

Don’t forget to check all external pipes at certain times. After long-term use, the old pipes crack easily with the frozen water, and other pipes mostly freeze in colder areas. In addition, some signs need to be noticed in daily life, such as puddles on the wall, discoloration of the water and strange gurgling sounds.

3. Purchase the pipe from brand companies such as Lesso

Choosing a band company to buy pipes can significantly mitigate the risk of pipe rupture. LESSO, as a reliable pipe provider, offers the best PVC, UPVC, PPR pipes that can be widely used in various plumbing systems of residential and industrial buildings. All pipes on the market are thoroughly tested to ensure high quality and cold resistance.

Therefore, you can confidently buy LESSO pipes because of its good after-sales service, which ensures a pleasant shopping experience. 

Summary

Maintaining pipes on a regular basis is necessary in our daily life, and buying high-quality pipes with high cold resistance can also prevent pipes from cracking in cold winters.  LESSO provides different pipes that are guaranteed in quality and reliable for customers with good after-sales.

By giving suggestions on things you need to do with a bursting pipe, we hope that it can help you to deal with the bad situations that occur out of expectation. We also hope it won’t occur to you that your pipe bursts in cold weather.