Why Do Water Pipes Burst?

When not stopped immediately, burst water pipes can become a major problem in both homes and commercial properties. Broken pipes can cause indoor flooding, ruining your property’s structural elements as well as its contents. Furthermore, the resulting moisture infiltration can also cause secondary problems like mold growth. Mold, as many of us already know, are dangerous species of fungi that can cause respiratory disorders, toxicity, infections, and allergic reactions.

In many cases, burst water pipes are not immediately noticeable. If not discovered early, hundreds of liters of water could be wasted, further adding to the costs of your trouble.

The primary causes of burst water pipes

Understanding what makes water pipes break is essential to finding solutions that can prevent the accident from happening in the first place. Basically, burst pipes are caused by tremendous pressure within the pipes. Pressure can build up primarily because of two reasons:

• Frozen water – When parts of your home’s water pipes are exposed to cold weather and are not insulated properly, the water flowing inside the pipes could partially freeze. The water that touches the inner walls of the pipes could harden and expand, putting pressure on the pipes. When the pipe can no longer take the pressure, it breaks. And because water is still flowing through the center of the pipe, it could end up flooding your property.
• Debris – The build-up of impurities commonly happens in old water pipes that have not been maintained properly. Disintegrating metal particles and mineral deposits can end up clogging the pipes, thereby causing obstruction and increasing the pressure inside them. When the pressure has become unbearable, the pipe will break, and there’d be no stopping the flowing water from inundating your home.

Make sure that your pipes are properly insulated and receive regular maintenance to prevent this problem from ever happening. But when it does, you should know that you can count on Chenal Restoration to lend you a hand. Please call us at 501-509-8855 or send us a message to learn more.