Burst water pipes can cause tremendous structural damage to your home — a problem that can take a lot of time and money to fix. Although quality water pipes are made to handle great force, they can burst without giving any warning. You may have difficulty with predicting how long your pipes can last.
Fortunately, routine plumbing maintenance can help keep up with impending pipe damage. Professional inspections can also identify the sensitive areas of your piping system that you may need to pay attention to.
Learn more about what causes pipe bursting and how a qualified plumber can help prevent the problem.
1. Freezing Temperatures
Cold winter weather may significantly lower water temperature in your pipes. Sometimes, the temperatures can be as low as 20°F, which could mean trouble for your pipes. Such low temperatures turn the water into ice and disrupt normal water flow.
Water pressure increases behind the ice blockage and adds tensional force to the pipes. After a while, the intense pressure bursts open your pipes from which water can leak out. Typically, a destructive force ranging between 25,000–114,000 PSI can easily make your water pipes expand and rapture.
Because of the damage from frozen pipes, your plumber may suggest that you have all your faucets put on a drip. In doing so, water won't sit in one place long enough for it to freeze.
2. Intrusive Tree Roots
Tree roots cause damage to concrete and sidewalks — and your plumbing system is no exception. When you have a tree growing near your home, the roots need to extend as far as they can in search of water. Eventually, they may come into contact with underground water pipes in the soil.
Because of their adventurous nature, tree roots may push against your water pipes as they try to move past the obstacles in their path. Your pipes might give in to the increasing external pressure and burst.
Sadly, you may not quickly notice the effects of root intrusion on your underground pipes. By the time you notice signs such as unexplained wet patches on the ground, a lot of water could have already gone to waste.
3. Extreme Water Pressure
Most water pipes have a pressure rating to let you know how much pressure they can handle. On average, standard inlet water pressure from your supplier could be anywhere between 40 and 45 psi. Since your plumbing system may be designed to work within this standard range, anything beyond the limits could cause your pipes to burst.
Sometimes, the water pressure in your home can increase, even if you have no frozen pipes. In such a case, your local water supplier may be responsible. To protect your plumbing system, ask your plumber to install a pressure reducing valve (PRV) that continuously adjusts incoming water pressure to a much safer level.
If your pipes have already ruptured, your plumber could either repair the burst sections or replace them. The right solution depends on the extent and sensitivity of damage. But in the future, you may want to use a specialized pressure gauge on your sink spouts to keep an eye on the pressure inside your pipes.
Burst pipes are preventable through frequent professional inspections and maintenance of your plumbing system. For example, a camera inspection can identify potential sections in your pipe that are likely to burst with time. If signs of damage exist, your plumbing inspector can verify the damage extent and let you know what to expect.
If you want to learn more about avoiding the various plumbing risks, contact us at Aurora Plumbing and Electric Supply, Inc, today.
