Frozen and Burst Pipe Cleanup in Glastonbury, CT

3/3/2021 (Permalink)

If you have a frozen and burst pipe in your Glastonbury home, act fast to stop the water damage and call SERVPRO for complete water damage cleanup.

The harsh weather of February 2021 proved that even deep in the heart of Texas, almost any home in America can suffer frozen and burst pipes. We in Glastonbury, CT, are more than familiar with the vast water damage that a frozen and burst pipe can cause.

In fact, because our typical winter includes many below-freezing days and nights, we in central Connecticut live in homes that are constructed to withstand that kind of cold. That includes pipes that are relatively well insulated, which means they are less likely to freeze and burst. In the southern states, however, homes and pipes are not usually well insulated. That’s one of the reasons why the recent rare freeze caused so many cases of frozen and burst pipe water damage in Texas and throughout the south. So, Glastonbury homeowners, you may complain about the cold, but you, your home and your pipes are better equipped to handle it!

Still, pipes do freeze in Connecticut, even in March—and the damage can be even worse if you’re not at home to deal with it promptly. We’ve all heard horror stories of homeowners who return from a vacation to discover destroyed walls, floors, ceilings, furniture and possessions from a frozen and burst pipe that thawed out and spewed water. That kind of uncontrolled damage can require repairs, reconstruction and cleaning that costs tens of thousands of dollars.

The experts at SERVPRO of Glastonbury/Wethersfield are prepared to respond to your frozen and burst pipe with the know-how, equipment and experience to help you recover quickly and completely from mild or severe water damage. We will handle every aspect of the cleanup from halting the water damage to restoring your structure, furnishings and possessions—to before-event condition.

The Science of Frozen and Burst Pipes

Because we understand why pipes freeze, SERVPRO® can help you prevent burst pipe water damage. Read on for the story of how and why pipes freeze—and steps you can take to prevent that from happening and ways to avoid damage if you do experience a frozen and burst pipe.

It’s not rocket science that pipes—carrying water as they do—can freeze. And when the outside temperature drops to below-freezing for several days or even a single day, pipes in the home become vulnerable to freezing up, especially if they are located in unheated parts of your house, and are uninsulated or not well insulated. Particularly vulnerable are pipes located in:

• exterior walls at the foundation of your home
• cracked or damaged foundation areas
• foundation entry points for cables and plumbing
• basements or crawlspaces
• attics
• garages
• sinks that sit against exterior walls
• outside hose spigots

Most pipes that freeze and burst are traditional copper pipes. PEX piping, on the other hand, may freeze, but is much less likely to burst (unless you have a PEX-aluminum-PEX combination piping).

While the ice blockage is the root cause of a burst pipe, surprisingly, it’s not the ice itself that does the bursting. Pressure is to blame. The water begins freezing and forming ice inside the pipe, slowing then stopping the flow of water until the pipe is plugged. Intra-pipe water pressure can grow to be greater than 1,000 times the usual amount, or up to 2,000 psi.

That’s why the actual spot of the burst is not usually where the frozen blockage is, but somewhere downstream between the blockage and a faucet or fixture—that’s the water has nowhere to go. And what happens when the ice blockage starts to thaw out? As water starts to flow again, out it comes at the new hole in the pipe, at the rate of up to many hundred gallons of water per hour.

So, when the temperature has dropped and your pipes are at risk of freezing and bursting, what can you do to prevent a water damage disaster in your home? Plenty—and it starts with determining if you have a frozen pipe. Start by doing some detective work.

How Do You Know You Have a Frozen Pipe?

Naturally, finding pools of water on the floor tells you that a frozen pipe has already burst. If there are no puddles, some other clues can tell you that you may have a frozen pipe behind a wall or ceiling.

• How is water flowing to and from your sinks and fixtures? Is the water pressure in the sink or shower suddenly reduced? Is the water from your faucet discolored—or is no water coming out at all? After you flush the toilet, does it fail to refill?
• Do you hear dripping, bubbling or whistling sounds behind walls or within pipes? Can you smell different or unpleasant smells from drains? Do you see water stains or discoloration on a wall or ceiling?

If it’s a “yes” to any of these questions, start hunting for the frozen pipe. Focus your search on unheated areas of your home.

Turn on all your faucets one by one. If no water flows from any of them, you’ll know that the freeze is probably close to where the water supply enters your house. If one or more faucet doesn’t work, check for a frozen pipe between the main water line and the non-working fixtures.

Take a look at the pipe—you’re checking for condensation or frost, and if you see that, there’s your freeze. Don’t see any frost? Then run your fingers along the pipe to feel for a spot that’s noticeably colder than the rest.

Prevent a Leak

If the pipe is still frozen, you have a chance at preventing water damage from occurring. Start by shutting off the water at the main valve. (For metered (or “city”) water, look on one side of your water meter for the valve, typically on a basement wall. For well water, check the pressure tank for the shutoff valve.) Then, open up all the faucets to relieve pressure in the pipes.

If the freeze is in an exposed pipe, you can get to work thawing it, starting at the non-working faucet and moving back toward the blockage. Apply gentle heat with a hair dryer, heat lamp, portable heater, electric heat tape, electric heating pad—even towels soaked in hot water.

On the other hand, if the freeze is behind a wall, you can turn up the thermostat or aim an infrared lamp at the wall. Or, knowing you can patch it later, go ahead and cut an opening in the wall to let warm air circulate directly around the blockage.

When you’ve thawed the frozen pipe, you’ll have to check for leaks. Naturally, if you see or hear water running or dripping, you’ll know there’s a leak!

First, turn on the water at the main valve. Look and listen for running, dripping or pooling water, in which case, you should turn the valve back off. If there are no obvious signs of a big leak, check carefully for a smaller or pinhole leak by examining the previously frozen pipe. Check the pipe’s seams and joints both visually and by using your fingers to check for wetness. If you still don’t have a sign of a leak, try one more test. Turn on each of your faucets and observe the water pressure. Low pressure might mean you have a small leak in that pipe.

Deal With a Leak A.S.A.P.

You’ve determined that you have a leak, so here’s where you spring into action to prevent or at least minimize water damage. The idea is to seal the leak temporarily until a plumber or water damage restoration specialist can replace the damaged section entirely.

(Note: if you have standing water on the floor, you may want to quickly take two actions for safety. Turning off the electricity to your home will prevent a possible electrocution, and quickly mopping up the standing water will reduce the chances of falling—and can help avoid additional water damage.)

For large or medium leaks, the best option requires that you own a correctly sized circular sleeve clamp lined with rubber. If you don’t have that on hand, try rigging one by slitting a length of an old heater or radiator hose and sliding that over the leaky area. Hold it in place with a C-clamp, protecting the pipe with small blocks of wood to prevent further damage to the pipe.

For a small or pinhole leak, you can make a temporary patch by wrapping sturdy duct tape around the pipe.

Next up: get a professional water damage remediation company to your Glastonbury-area home to replace the pipe and clean up the damage to your home, furnishings and possessions.

How SERVPRO Cleans Up Water Damage from Frozen and Burst Pipes in Glastonbury, CT

It’s essential to get your frozen and burst pipe water damage cleanup started A.S.A.P. The longer water sits, the more it damages your house and possessions. It can soak into your home’s floors, walls and ceilings, increasing the chances that they’ll have to be replaced. Water and moisture can—in just 48 hours—allow mold colonies to begin growing, which leads to the need for even more cleanup. And, after the cold temperatures that caused your pipe to freeze and burst, it’s highly likely that many other homeowners in the Glastonbury area are picking up their phones to call water damage cleanup professionals, too!

Don’t wait: this is the time to call SERVPRO of Glastonbury/Wethersfield. We have years of experience, high-level training and the most up-to-date equipment and products. Our goal is to restore your home to its pre-damage condition as soon as possible.

SERVPRO of Glastonbury/Wethersfield recommends that you file your insurance claim for the frozen and burst pipe damage as soon as possible. We will work closely with your insurer to accelerate the claims process. We even provide you with an inventory of water-damaged furnishings and items, including photos. Additionally, we may recommend that you temporarily leave your home while the loud and messy cleanup process is underway.

Our skilled crew will get to your home fast, evaluate the situation, and get right to work restoring your home, furnishings and property following the proven SERVPRO water damage remediation process.

Inspection/assessment: We inspect the damaged areas of your home and test to determine how much moisture is there. Then we outline a plan to complete dry out and restore your home and property.

Temporary protection: If needed, we use tarps and boards to prevent further water damage.

Water removal/extraction: With the damage halted, we use our powerful pumps and vacuum units to quickly pull out hundreds of gallons of water, helping to prevent more water damage and mold growth.

Drying/dehumidifying: With the bulk of the water removed, we measure temperature and relative humidity to direct how we place the air movers and dehumidifiers that will finish the drying process.

Cleaning/sanitizing: Next, we sanitize and remove odors from your dried and dehumidified home. Any furnishings and personal items that were damaged are cleaned, sanitized and deodorized in our central Connecticut warehouse.

Restoration: Finally, we make repairs or even reconstruct areas of your home, then return your cleaned possessions and furniture.

We’re Here for You

The team at SERVPRO of Glastonbury/Wethersfield has specialized training and experience in water damage remediation, fire restoration services, natural disaster prevention, chemical cleanup, and natural disaster cleanup. Call SERVPRO of Glastonbury/Wethersfield (860.633.8791) any time.

When you have suffered a water or other disaster at your home or business, call SERVPRO of Glastonbury/Wethersfield today at 860.633.8791

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SERVPRO of Glastonbury/Wethersfield
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Noemi Garcia
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