A home’s pipes are always in danger of the dreaded “freeze and burst” scenario. Fortunately, no disaster is beyond the scope of a great water damage restoration crew. Over the course of 70 years spent servicing customer homes, COIT’s technicians have witnessed almost every possible scenario firsthand.

The Cause Behind Exploding Pipes

You’ve probably put a can of soda in the freezer before just to quickly get the beverage cold for consumption. If you’ve ever forgotten about the can, you may have come back to a beverage that exploded all over your freezer. This exact same principle applies when your pipes freeze and burst.

The reason for these explosions is because liquid expands when it reaches a freezing temperature. As existing water inside the individual pipe freezes and creates blockage, there is naturally nowhere for the water to go, causing the pipe itself to burst.

Believe it or not, homeowners in the south are also at great risk of their pipes freezing, perhaps even more so than counterparts in northern states. In many cases, older homes in the south have constructed water systems with pipes in attics or even outdoors, exposed to the elements.

Meanwhile, many homes in the north are built taking into account the threat of frozen pipes, with some builders observing the proper precautions to shield piping from opportunities where freezing could occur. However, pipes in the north can and do still burst.

What to Do If Your Pipes Explode

Plenty of precautions can be taken to prevent your pipes from freezing in the first place. Whenever the external temperature gets below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to be careful—in other words, do NOT let the inside of your home plummet under 32 degrees.

For example, saving money on your heating bill is great when you’re out of town, but make 100% sure the temperature inside your home will not drop below freezing. Although it’s sometimes inevitable that freezing scenarios are going to extend beyond your control.

If you do turn on a faucet and no water is coming out, immediately cease to run the water, as you could begin creating further damage to your pipes. In the event you discover a pipe that has broken and is leaking water, the absolute first thing you’ll want to do is turn your water supply off at the source.

The Best Course of Action to Minimize Damage and Start Cleanup

Overall, your number one course of action should be contacting a professional to diagnose the problem. The longer the situation sits, the worse it’s going to become. Should you discover mold unexpectedly, the abatement process will stop deterioration from rapidly spreading.

The same goes for home restoration following the most disastrous water damage. It’s critical that the drying process be started within the first 48 hours in order to effectively mitigate moisture damage, so put a professional on the case.

Again, the sooner a COIT technician can perform a thorough inspection, the better. This will ensure that we can quickly assess the damage and begin the restoration process.

For Full Restoration, Place Your Trust in COIT

The technicians at COIT are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A full water damage restoration team will fix up your home to be even more beautiful than it was before disaster struck. With flexible scheduling and an industry-best guarantee, your main risk would be not calling our professionals.

Contact COIT to immediately begin the water damage restoration process.