The Real Cause of Pipe Breaks in East Mahoning County

2/22/2021 (Permalink)

Fun fact: Open cabinet doors on the colder days to allow the warm air from inside the home to keep the pipes warm.

Did you know pipes don’t burst because of ice expanding? It happens because of pressure inside of the pipes. Allow SERVPRO of East Mahoning County to explain the science of freezing pipes to our residents.

It has been an unbelievable cold February! SERVPRO has gotten our fair share of phone calls centered around pipes bursting here in Youngstown.

According to Live Science… “When water freezes, its molecules crystalize into an open hexagonal form, which takes up more space than when the molecules are in their liquid form — that is, the water molecules expand as they freeze. As the ice expands, it pushes water toward the closed faucet. This causes an immense amount of water pressure to build between the ice blockage and the faucet — eventually, the pipe ruptures under the pressure, usually at a spot where there's little or no ice.”

Pipes that are most at risk of freezing are located on the outside of the building insulation, such as, the basement, garage, and crawl spaces. As a homeowner, insulating these vulnerable pipes with fiberglass, foam sleeves or other types of insulation can help prevent them from bursting.

Here are a few little fun facts to keep the pipes in your home from freezing:

• Keep the faucet open to allow the water to run. This helps prevent the water pressure from building up.
• Open cabinet doors on the colder days to allow the warm air from inside the home to keep the pipes warm.
• Insulate the exterior pipes.

Should you experience a pipe break at your home or business call the water restoration experts at SERVPRO of East Mahoning County. When flooding or a large storm hits Youngstown, SERVPRO is there to help our local residents and businesses with their water damaged properties.

If recent storms have caused flooding or a pipe has burst, our highly trained technicians are ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond immediately to flood or water damage of any size. We have the training, expertise, and experience to properly clean, restore, and rebuild your home quickly. We use advanced inspection and extraction equipment to find the water and remove it as quickly as possible. Our local technicians will closely monitor and document the drying process to ensure your property is put back to normal. Our staff of professional and knowledgeable personnel in construction will guarantee your home is put back together so that it will truly look "Like it never even happened."

Please refer to our Water Damage Tips page to answer any quick questions you may have. 

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