This week we were going to talk about evaporation potential, but considering the cold snap of weather that has hit us we wanted to talk about another topic. So evaporation potential will have to wait till next week. Instead today we’ll be talking about busted pipes.
Did you know that busted pipes account for a large portion of our business? We work with plumbers and around this time of year a busted pipe can be a pretty common occurrence. The reason pipes burst around this time of year is because of freezing. If you use ALL of your plumbing on a regular basis and your pipes are insulated correctly then a busted pipe is not a big concern, but this is not the case for most people.
One of the main reasons people will have a busted pipe that causes water damage in their home is vacation. Tis the season to visit family. So you go out of town and turn your heat down. If you turn it down too low then the pipes in your home can freeze. Coming home to that can be like coming home to an ice age. When the pipe bursts due to frozen water you may not have a problem that second. When you come home and turn up the heat or if there’s a warm day then the water starts flowing causing serious water damage throughout your home.
The other big reason is un-insulated pipes near an exterior wall. A lot of homes have handy man come in and do work. This can be a great way to save money. The problem is that a lot of handy men are not licensed to do the work that they do. So they may unknowingly do something wrong. Or you may have a bad contractor who cuts corners when working on your home. Either way these screw ups can be very costly. When pipes run by the exterior wall, even if your heat is up and on, they can be effected by the elements. The constant cold of the winter can cause them to freeze. When this happens a busted pipe can wreak havoc on your home.
Unfortunately, problems with your pipes can be hard to detect. Plumbing runs throughout our homes behind walls. If your pipes are not insulated correctly this can be very hard to figure out except by having a pipe that breaks. The best thing you can do is monitor your pipes in the winter and check regularly for water damage. With it being below freezing for a few days, now would be a great to time go to your basement and do a little audit of your home. Check for leaking or dripping. The next best thing you can do is make sure that you keep your home above freezing when you go out of town. A low, but reasonable temperature may cost you a few bucks in heating, but save you thousands in water damage repair. And your goldfish will appreciate it too. Lastly, if you can afford to have a plumber come out and do an audit of your home they will be able to tell you what’s going on. It will cost money up front, but could save you tons down the road.
We hope you enjoy the holiday season, and we don’t mean to give you homework over the break, but checking things out now will help make the rest of the season smooth. Check one thing off your list by being proactive in making sure your home is safe. So what are you waiting for? Go check your pipes now!
