It Isn’t Always the Cold Weather that Causes Pipes to Burst

As winter approaches, other than the chill, what worries homeowners the most is the bursting of pipes. In cold weather, water inside the pipes freezes. The water molecules crystallize into an open hexagonal form. This form of water takes up more space. As ice expands, it pushes the water towards the closed faucet. As a result, an immense amount of pressure is built up, which eventually ruptures the pipe at the point where there is little or no ice.

It is for this reason that most homeowners, especially in Chicago, wrap their pipes with heat tapes or insulation. They even keep the faucet open and trickling, which prevents the water pressure from building up to dangerous levels.

Cold Weather Isn’t Always to Blame

However, it is not only due to the cold weather that pipes burst, this could happen in summer too. The problem is that most often, pipes burst within the wall, where they are hard to detect. However, if you detect any stains on the wall, brownish water coming from the tap or reduced water pressure, stay prepared, you might have to deal with a burst pipe, warns Mikes Chicago Plumbing, expert plumber in Skokie and other parts of Chicago.

And Chicago is not new to such problems, with even the water main bursting from time to time, and not just during the peak of winter. 2017 began with a huge water main break that flooded multiple blocks in the Sauganash neighbourhood of Chicago, while more recently; another water main break in the end of November 2017 was so bad in the Gresham neighbourhood that residents initially thought it was sinkhole.

3 Non-Weather Related Causes of Burst Pipes

• Hard water:Hard water is a silent culprit, impacting every area of your abode. Water is called hard water if it contains an abundance of magnesium and calcium. What happens is that when water enters the home, these minerals build up inside the pipes over the time. The build-up of minerals is more common if the pipes carry hot water. As a result, the opening on the pipes is constricted, which reduces the amount of water that can pass through. This could ultimate lead to blocked pipes, which can cause them to burst due to pressure build-up, says expert plumbing services in Skokie.

• Rust:Pipes and fittings made of copper, steel and iron are vulnerable to rust. Moreover, when different metals are joined together, galvanic corrosion or bimetallic corrosion can occur, which causes rust due to its exposure to water, which works as an electrolyte in this case. Passing of water through corroded pipes turn it brownish, highly acidic and unfit for drinking. Over time, the rust weakens the pipes, causing them to eventually break.

• Poor installation of pipes:Unless installation is done by experienced and skilled plumbers, you might end up with loose connections, bad soldering and more. All this could eventually lead to damage and even breaks in the pipes.

As soon as you suspect any damage to pipes in your home, contact a 24 hour plumbers in Skokie, who can resolve the issue before anything worse occurs.