Burst pipes are a common condition in any plumbing system and can occur in a domestic or a public system. There are several things or conditions that can lead to burst pipes. Generally, it is found that freezing temperatures lead to burst pipes.
There are several other reasons that pipes burst, and you may need to call an emergency plumber. Expert Newcastle Plumbers CDL advise that burst pipes can occur due to misuse, age or damage. These plumbing pipes undergo extreme pressure, and this may lead to breaking down of the pipe eventually. There can be devastating as well as dramatic effects due to burst pipes. A burst pipe can cause major damage to your property. This can also lead to a water crisis in the concerned building or even in the entire society.
Burst pipes have become a very common issue in modern times. There are issues related to bursting pipes more often these days because of overcrowded cities and population boom. Burst pipes are certainly the worst plumbing issue that can happen to any structure. There is a major cost involved in repairing burst pipes, not to mention the damage caused to the structure because of the bursting of the pipe.
In case a pipe bursts inside the floor or ceiling, the first thing that you would notice is a bulge or water flowing in torrents. The most likely causes of burst pipes are unprotected piping or frozen temperature. A plumbing pipe usually bursts due to an expansion of the pipe when the water inside the pipe gets frozen due to low temperatures. This kinds of expansion in volume inside the pipe can easily break the weaker joints or plastic pipes.
Prevention of Burst Pipes
A burst pipe is an emergency plumbing fault and it should be dealt with without any wastage of time. some of the major prevention techniques that would help in preventing pipes from bursting are:
- You should know where the stopcock lies. If you think that there is a burst pipe in the structure, you should stop the stopcock and immediately call an experienced plumber.
- You should take care that plumbing pipelines are completely insulated, especially if you live in an area where the temperature goes down considerably. Foam or insulating lagging can be used for insulation of the pipelines and you should especially take care that no bends, joints or taps are exposed.
- All the piping in areas like basements, lofts and garages should be especially insulated to prevent burst pipes.
- Any pipes which are buried inside garages and basements should be insulated as they are more vulnerable to damage.
- You should take care about insulating the cold-water tanks as they are major causes of burst pipes.
- You should take the precaution of heating the entire plumbing system to at least 12-degree centigrade persistently during cold spells. This would ensure that the system remains warm enough and there would be lesser instances of burst pipes.
- You should also make sure that you repair existing leaks or dripping taps before the cold spell arrives. A large number of burst pipes usually occur due to minor leaks in the pipelines.
- The central heating system should be serviced regularly, especially before winter sets in.
A burst pipe is a major plumbing issue and can cause major damage. You should adopt the preventive measures discussed above, and in case your pipes still burst, you should get an experienced plumber at the earliest.
