Cold water not running? Your house might have a burst water pipe that could cause flooding as temperatures rise later this week.
Burst pipes are the most common plumbing problem in winter, said Doug Juniper, service manager at Hillcrest Plumbing in Vancouver, adding that Hillcrest’s plumbers fix three or four burst pipes per week during the cold months.
Pipes are especially prone to break when people leave their garden hoses attached to outdoor hose tap, he said.“Water will creep up and freeze inside,” Juniper said.
Since Monday Hillcrest has fixed about eight burst pipes caused by Metro Vancouver’s recent cold snap, but as temperatures increase, they expect a flood of customers complaining of leaks.
Unfortunately, many people only realize their pipes have burst after water from the broken pipes thaws and floods their basement.
