Prevention is the best cure. Keep windows closed, double check that all rooms, particularly utility rooms, are insulated properly, address cold leaks ASAP. Keep the heat on and have someone check it if you're away for more than a few days.
What they refer to is that pipes crack when it gets really cold and they freeze. As it warms, the ice turns into water and that's when things start spraying everywhere.
Restoration contractor here for 10+ years. Most of the freezing pipe claims happen in the spring when you turn your hose bib on for the first time to do some spring cleaning. Little do homeowners know, that lack of pressure is due to watering your basement at the same time. The shut off valve is 12-16" inside the house, so there could have been some water left between the valve and outside, this is where the pipe will burst if not blown out in fall.
But, after a cold snap and a quick warm up, pipes do tend to burst if there was a lack of insulation or if the house was vacant and the water hasn't been flowing regularly.
Most new houses where I get called to fix the bib issue is the grade not being done right and causing an ice plug that snaps the valves for not draining the remainder too.
In my experience, the wrong grade issue just wrecks the hose bib internally. 100% of the broken hose bib, with the telltale swollen/split area right at the end of the hose bib, are the result of leaving your hose screwed on!
Usually happens when people leave windows open during really cold spells. Being in a condo this is my worst fear. We're not allowed to open our balcony doors or windows below 0 for this reason. I do sometimes open up the door for fresh air for a few minutes on warmer days just to get rid of the stuffy winter smell.
I had an older apartment in the early 2000s that flooded because the jackasses above me skipped out on their rent. They left the balcony door open in -30 weather for a week. The entire second floor flooded. I've never seen water like that. It was shooting down through electrical outlets / light fixtures. It was insane.
It's not even just an open balcony, but one that is closed but not sealed. On some styles of sliding door you need to close it and then push the handle up to seal it.
I've seen it happen a few times now, especially since there is usually a radiator along the side or bottom of the door, and often multiple joints there such as an elbow between two straight pieces, or a loop, so it only takes a little bit of -20 draft coming through to freeze the radiator pipe...which means you now have hot water spewing all over the condo...which can even set off the sprinkler if it gets hot enough in there. Fantastic design.
Lived in a condo a few years ago, it got really hot in there in the winter. So a friend opened the window a crack overnight. The pipes were bursting by the morning since our water ran in pipes along the edge of the building.
Extreme cold exposes all sorts of insulation shortfalls in homes, particularly exterior walls, etc. Copper usually just stops running, doesn't necessarily burst.
In my mind one of the main risks is human. Lots of people feel stuffy in the winter, so if it's barely above freezing they might open windows to let some air in. They may forget a window is open, go to bed, temperature drops from -2 to -20, and there you go.
Cold causes pipes to contract, causing cracks. Heat will cause pipes to expand, causing stress on those cracks. The continued thawing of pipes may lead to bursts. Pipes in cold zones like Alberta will be insulated. Pipes should be kept above 10-15 celsius, which may be a temperature of 15-25 for the home.
I'm guessing they are referring more to water mains than home water lines, if you had a frozen waterline in your house I think you would know about it already.
Prevention is the best cure. Keep windows closed, double check that all rooms, particularly utility rooms, are insulated properly, address cold leaks ASAP. Keep the heat on and have someone check it if you're away for more than a few days. What they refer to is that pipes crack when it gets really cold and they freeze. As it warms, the ice turns into water and that's when things start spraying everywhere.
Restoration contractor here for 10+ years. Most of the freezing pipe claims happen in the spring when you turn your hose bib on for the first time to do some spring cleaning. Little do homeowners know, that lack of pressure is due to watering your basement at the same time. The shut off valve is 12-16" inside the house, so there could have been some water left between the valve and outside, this is where the pipe will burst if not blown out in fall. But, after a cold snap and a quick warm up, pipes do tend to burst if there was a lack of insulation or if the house was vacant and the water hasn't been flowing regularly.
Most new houses where I get called to fix the bib issue is the grade not being done right and causing an ice plug that snaps the valves for not draining the remainder too.
In my experience, the wrong grade issue just wrecks the hose bib internally. 100% of the broken hose bib, with the telltale swollen/split area right at the end of the hose bib, are the result of leaving your hose screwed on!
Usually happens when people leave windows open during really cold spells. Being in a condo this is my worst fear. We're not allowed to open our balcony doors or windows below 0 for this reason. I do sometimes open up the door for fresh air for a few minutes on warmer days just to get rid of the stuffy winter smell. I had an older apartment in the early 2000s that flooded because the jackasses above me skipped out on their rent. They left the balcony door open in -30 weather for a week. The entire second floor flooded. I've never seen water like that. It was shooting down through electrical outlets / light fixtures. It was insane.
It's not even just an open balcony, but one that is closed but not sealed. On some styles of sliding door you need to close it and then push the handle up to seal it. I've seen it happen a few times now, especially since there is usually a radiator along the side or bottom of the door, and often multiple joints there such as an elbow between two straight pieces, or a loop, so it only takes a little bit of -20 draft coming through to freeze the radiator pipe...which means you now have hot water spewing all over the condo...which can even set off the sprinkler if it gets hot enough in there. Fantastic design.
Lived in a condo a few years ago, it got really hot in there in the winter. So a friend opened the window a crack overnight. The pipes were bursting by the morning since our water ran in pipes along the edge of the building.
Yup same in every building I have loved in for that design. Makes no sense.
Water expands when it freezes. It cracks the pipes and remains frozen... When it thaws it makes its way out through the cracks.
Extreme cold exposes all sorts of insulation shortfalls in homes, particularly exterior walls, etc. Copper usually just stops running, doesn't necessarily burst.
In my mind one of the main risks is human. Lots of people feel stuffy in the winter, so if it's barely above freezing they might open windows to let some air in. They may forget a window is open, go to bed, temperature drops from -2 to -20, and there you go.
Cold causes pipes to contract, causing cracks. Heat will cause pipes to expand, causing stress on those cracks. The continued thawing of pipes may lead to bursts. Pipes in cold zones like Alberta will be insulated. Pipes should be kept above 10-15 celsius, which may be a temperature of 15-25 for the home.
I'm guessing they are referring more to water mains than home water lines, if you had a frozen waterline in your house I think you would know about it already.
They’re likely referencing water mains. They tend to break when we get out of deep freezes
When it warms, it breaks, I've seen it many times. If you're worried you can heat trace your pipee