Frozen Pipes Burst in Albany Park Chicago: Rescue Plumbing Saves the Day
Frozen pipes can cause a lot of water damage in a short period of time. If you’re not prepared, you could be looking at a costly repair bill. This winter was one for the record books, and if your home is in Albany Park, then you know how bad it can get. A frozen pipe emergency can happen to anyone, so don’t wait until it’s too late! Read more to see how we were of help for this Albany Park homeowner.
Why Do Pipes Burst?
A pipe that has frozen can cause a pipe burst, often due to cold weather, the water expands inside the pipe so much that it breaks the actual pipe material itself opening it, and causing a burst pipe. When the temperature in your home falls, your water pipes could be at risk of freezing and bursting.
Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When water pipes freeze, they expand, and this can cause the pipes to burst. This can happen to metal or plastic pipes.
A burst pipe can cause a lot of damage to your home. Once you identify you have frozen pipes, it’s important to take action. Don’t hesitate to call Rescue Plumbing. We’ll send someone over right away to help you get your home back in order.
How You Can Tell if Your Pipes Burst
Frozen pipes can be a significant problem during the winter months. Often times homeowners can’t tell their pipes have frozen until it’s too late. Here are some tips on how to determine if you have frozen pipes:
No Water or Low Water Pressure
You can tell your pipes have frozen if you have difficulty getting water and the water pressure is low.
When the pipes freeze the frozen water can block the flow, leading to low pressure or no water at all. If ignored the frozen water will begin to expand the pipes further.
Ice Around the Pipe
If you see ice build-up around the pipes, is another sign. When frozen, water can freeze and build up around the pipes.
At this point, the pipe has already burst allowing frozen water to build up around the broken pipe. Water will leak out of the pipe and freeze around it.
Active Leaking
When the frozen pipes thaw, water can flow through the broken pipe. You may hear a hissing noise coming from the pipes, or see water leaking from them.
If water is leaking use towels to absorb the water. Turn off the water lines to stop water from running.
Water leaks can be worrisome. But do not worry there are steps you can take to prevent frozen pipes and their damage.
How to prevent frozen pipes
If you’re a homeowner, you can do a few things to help prevent frozen pipes from bursting. Be prepared for the harsh Chicago winters by following these tips.
Insulation
It’s essential to have the proper insulation in your home to keep the heat in during the winter. This will help keep the heat in and prevent your pipes from freezing.
For exposed pipes, wrap your pipes in insulation. If you have any cracks in your walls or ceilings, be sure to seal them up.
Double-check your exterior walls for any open areas. Keeping your home warm during the winter is essential.
Warm Temperatures
Keeping your home at a warm temperature can help prevent frozen pipes from bursting. Set the thermostat to at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that your pipes are warm.
Check for unheated areas in your home. Homes often have small crawl spaces and they don’t receive warmer air.
Water lines in crawl spaces often freeze. Use a space heater to apply heat in these areas as they will thaw the pipes if frozen.
Thaw Pipes
The first thing you need to do before attempting to thaw a frozen pipe is to locate the main water shut-off just in case you successfully thaw the pipe and it shoots out water when melting because it has burst.
If your pipes have frozen, there are a few ways you can thaw them. You can use an electric heating pad for pipes, a propane heater, a wrap-on pipe heating cable, or even a portable space heater.
Be sure to keep a close eye on the pipes while they are thawing and do not leave the devices running unattended. Letting warm air hit the pipes can help to avoid burst pipes.
An extra thing you can do is keep the faucet open at a trickle. This will keep the water flowing and help prevent the pipes from freezing.
Outdoor Hose Bibs
Don’t forget about outdoor hose bibs and spigot covers. Turn off the water to the spigots and drain hoses and pipes.
Install freeze-resistant or frost-proof hose bibb spigot. Also, cover your faucets with insulated Duck Brand coverings.
Bursting Pipes in Albany Park Home
As the winter months approach, Chicagoans brace themselves for the freezing temperatures. Rescue Plumbing is here to help you through any pipe emergency.
It’s essential to have a trusted service on-hand to help in the event of frozen pipes.
Albany Park Chicago Neighborhood
Rescue Plumbing got a call from a homeowner in Albany Park, Chicago, who had a frozen pipe. We were able to send a technician out right away to help thaw the pipe and prevent any further damage.
On the northwest side, Albany Park is a diverse neighborhood in Chicago. Albany Park is known for its tree-lined streets and historic architecture.
In the Chicago winter, we headed out to an Albany Park home on Lawrence avenue immediately to save their home from damage.
Call To Rescue Plumbing
Upon arrival, our plumbers headed to the basement where the pipes had burst. The customer showed us that the water pipes had burst and water froze around them. There was much water remaining from one pipe burst.
We saw the property had a 3-foot by 3-foot opening. The opening let cold air into the basement freezing and bursting all the old piping.
We closed the open section right away. We also double-checked the exterior walls for any other exposed areas. There were no water lines exposed to the cold weather.
Chicago Water Pipes Repaired
We closed the opening but the lower level part of the home was still not well heated. We recommended they use some sort of heater to heat the area.
For the burst pipe repair, we began by shutting off the water. Then we removed all the damaged and burst pipes. We repiped all the damaged sections of pipe.
After replacing the pipes we made sure to seal and solder them. We turned the water back on and waited a couple of minutes to spot any leaks and ensure the pipes were no longer frozen.
After a couple of minutes, the new pipes showed no leaks meaning the repair was a success!
FAQs
To the Rescue!
Rescue Plumbing is the go-to plumbing company for same-day service and free estimates. When temperatures are below freezing, it’s important to have a plan in place in case your pipes burst.
We service all city of Chicago neighborhoods and Chicago suburbs. Give us a call to see how we can help. You can reach us at (773) 799-8848.
