The possibility of a burst depends on the location of the pipe and whether it s insulated.
Pipe burst in attic.
When water freezes it expands which can cause the pressure inside the pipe to increase until it bursts.
Burst pipes are among the major causes of water damage in winter.
Mold remediation water damage and crawl space repairs can be costly.
Not every burst pipe is a torrent of water from the ceiling look for damp patches on walls ceilings and floors.
Loss of water pressure unusual noises in the system and even electrical faults all can point to burst pipes.
Pipes that are the most at risk of bursting are those located outside of building insulation or those in unheated interior areas including basements attics and crawl spaces.
Look out for the signs of burst pipes.
That s why people are encouraged to wrap pipes with insulation or heat tape and keep their homes heated even if they plan to be away for the entire winter.
The american red cross recommends taking the following preventive measures to avoid having cold weather overwhelm your plumbing system.
As pipes freeze in the cold and then thaw as the temperatures begin to rise they leak and burst.
It is important to insulate pex pipe in an attic particularly in cold weather areas.
If you hear a shuddering noise that seems to be coming from your roof whenever you turn the taps on and off this is called water hammering.
Cross linked polyethylene tubing better known as pex pipe has revolutionized plumbing installations in new home construction and remodeling.
Safe for potable water pex is the red and blue flexible tubing that s used to make gentle bends around obstructions in your attic and is perfect for adding water supply to hard to reach locations.
There are many reasons for why a pipe might experience enough stress and pressure that it causes a burst however we will have a look at three main reasons.
Most pipes that burst do so because they freeze.
Freezing temperatures can be the most common culprit of burst pipes.
If you suspect a burst pipe then isolate the water from the stopcock.
When temperatures drop in winter the risk of water pipes freezing and subsequently bursting goes up.