It is common for water main breaks to occur more often over the winter months. There are approximately 35% more water main breaks throughout NYC from December to February, which is simply due to freezing weather conditions.
As the weather turns cold, water lines tend to expand and contract which weakens the water pipes. If a pipe is already corroded and in a weakened state, it makes sense that the expansion and contraction would cause the pipe to crack.
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Water main leak above surface |
Frozen ground is another factor in water line breaks throughout the winter months. When water turns into ice, it can expand. When ice forms in soil it pushes the surrounding ground with great force. This leads to a movement in the ground as well as any nearby pipes.
How to prevent freezing pipes throughout the winter
Pipes that freeze are most frequently exposed to severe cold weather, such as, pipes that are in unheated interior areas, pipes that run against walls with no insulation and/or pipes that are above the grounds frost line. The frost line in NYC is usually around 42 inches
It is suggested to check the house for areas where the water line supply is located in unheated areas and insulate the pipes. Look in the basement, garages, crawl spaces etc. You should also keep water running at all times, even a drip of water will help prevent freezing pipes.
Thawing a frozen pipe
Thawing a frozen pipe |
To thaw a frozen pipe you should first check the condition of the pipe where it has frozen. It is possible that plastic or copper pipes may crack or split when being thawed. If the pipe has cracked, you should immediately call a licensed master plumber. If the pipe is metal, a welder can be connected to each side where the pipe has frozen and it will use electricity to warm the pipes.
A recent pipe burst in sub-freezing weather – Harris responds
Harris Water was called to a home in Brooklyn on a 12 degree winter evening. The homeowner noticed a steady stream of water showing up in-front of her house out of nowhere. The Harris rep first performed a noise test on the pipe to confirm that it was her pipe that had broken. It was quickly confirmed that there was a loud rumbling noise on her water line. The noise confirmed that water was moving and escaping the pipe at some point in-between the house and the connection to the city water line. It was not a complete surprise that the pipe had broken, it was the original lead pipe installed when the house was built in 1928.
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Harris Water was at the house the very next morning to begin installing the new pipe from the roadway, to inside the house. All required permits were obtained, and the crew began digging for the new 1 inch copper water line installation. Thirty five feet of new pipe was installed, which included making one hole in the roadway and one hole on the property. Once the holes were dug, compressed air was used to blow tunnels from one hole to the next until they reached the foundation wall of the house. At this point the new copper water line was pulled through each tunnel and connected to the existing meter inside the house and a new house control valve was installed as well.
For more details on a water line installation watch our video here
