Burst pipes are the most common plumbing problems that occur in homes. There are many causes for burst pipes, the main one being icy conditions. If you are facing such situation, contact an emergency plumber in Eureka CA immediately. In this article, find out what you should do when a water pipe bursts in your home.
Pipes can be put under pressure through any fault in the piping system. The impact of burst or broken pipes can be devastating. They can cause damage to the property, its occupants, and even the entire road. In fact, you can be left without water for days or weeks as a result.
The extent of water loss from cracked pipes in your home can be as much as 300 liters. This means if you decide to go away for a full day, you could lose up to 9000 liters of water due to your cracked pipes. If you were on vacation for a week, this can be up to 47,000 liters of water loss. This is why you need to protect your valves in the cold weather condition and use an emergency plumber.
The most likely cause of a cracked pipe is due to frozen temperatures. This happens when the pipes have not been lagged and are left unprotected from freezing temperatures. When the water in the pipe turns to ice, it can put pressure on the pipe from the inside. Even plastic pipes can break due to their weak joints.
To minimize the risk of burst pipes happening in your home, there are several things you can do. Make sure you turn off the main water valve. All the outside piping and taps for heating must be fully insulated. This can be done with foam or insulation lags but make sure you do not leave any pipes exposed, especially if they are located outside.
If you are going to leave your home unoccupied for a while, it is best to turn off the stopcock right away and empty out all the water from the piping systems. You should also leave your heating on and most importantly, make sure someone inspects your property every other day or so. Burst pipes can be messy and expensive to fix so prevention is better than cure.
If you are unsure how to take preventative measures, then make sure you contact an emergency plumber immediately. This expert will be able to carry out these jobs and stop any further escalation. If you contact a plumber before your pipes burst, he will inspect them all and advise on the best preventative measures.
As soon as you realize that one or more of your pipes have burst, get in touch with an experienced plumber. To stop an immediate crisis, turn off the main water valve. After that, take a look at the Web to find your nearest plumbing company in CA. Emergency plumbers are available at any time of the day or night so they will be able to help you with all your urgent plumbing problems.