A water pipe burst is a big problem, one that no homeowner wants to deal with. If you don’t want to deal with it, you need to take preventative steps to stop a water pipe burst from happening. You do not need to be a professional to ward off water pipe bursts in your home—you just need to follow a few, simple steps.
Identify the Likely Causes of a Water Pipe Burst in Your Home
Water pipe bursts do not happen without reason. In fact, there are only a few reasons why a water pipe burst would occur in your home: freezing temperatures, high water pressure, and damage to the pipes. Your steps to prevent a water pipe burst will depend on which reasons are most likely to affect your home.
Freezing Temperatures
While this might not be a big issue here in most parts of Southern California, it is the most common reason for pipes to burst nationwide. Why do freezing temperatures cause water pipe bursts? Essentially, the water coming into your home is much colder than it was before, and the change in temperature can cause the pipes to contract. As the pipes expand and contract repeatedly, this weakens the pipe, eventually causing the weakened portion to burst.
How to Stop It
Stopping a water pipe burst in freezing temperatures is pretty simple. The easiest way to do so is to keep one or two faucets in the home running slowly at all times. This keeps the water moving, preventing it from freezing. You can also target heat towards the pipes nearest the outside of your home and even use heat tape on the pipes.
High Water Pressure
We know what you are thinking: High water pressure is a good thing. Everyone wants strong water pressure. And while this is true when taking a shower, high water pressure in your pipes is a problem. When this occurs, the water is exerting too much force on the sides of the pipes. As time goes on, weaker points in your pipes can give way, causing a pipe to burst.
How to Stop It
To prevent this from happening, you need to control your water pressure. The biggest factor contributing to high water pressure is untreated clogs. As such, you need to ensure any obvious clog is treated as soon as possible and that you are also working to prevent clogs from occurring in spaces you cannot see. Regular maintenance should do the trick.
Damage to the Pipes
There are many factors that can cause pipe damage. From tree roots to old age, if pipes weaken, a burst can happen. Out of the three potential causes of pipe burst, this is the most difficult to prevent.
How to Stop It
The best thing that you can do is inspect your pipes a few times a year. Look for any signs of corrosion or other damage. If you spot a problem, wrap the area with strong tape and call a plumber immediately. Understand that the tape is just a temporary measure and that you do require professional service as quickly as possible.
Turn to Orange Coast Plumbing
From repairing damaged pipes to clearing out clogs, we are happy to take care of it all for you. There is no reason to suffer a water pipe burst with us on your side. Orange Coast Plumbing has been fixing water pipe bursts for over 30 years. Give us a call and we will send a member of our team to your home immediately.
