How to avoid a spring time disaster

4/22/2019 (Permalink)

The pipe break occurred in winter but can ruin your spring!

Soon the weather will start warming, and believe it or not, it will be so warm you will want to wash the car or do some other outside cleaning. If you are like us, you can't wait!!

However, if you realize that you left a hose connected to an outside faucet, you might have inadvertently caused your pipe inside the house to freeze and break. The actual term for the faucet is silcock. What makes the silcock different is that the actual shut off valve is inside the house, 16-20" where it is hopefully warm. However, even though the valve is inside the house at a safe distance to keep it warm, leaving a hose attached can cause ice to form and cause the pipe to break between the outside faucet and the silcock valve. (Keep in mind that that entire pipe is still inside the house!!)

This is good in that although the silcock pipe is ruptured, no water has been lost because the valve is shut off. HOWEVER, once you open the valve by turning on the outside faucet, water will start pouring into your home!!

Play it safe, and if you left a hose attached all winter, before you turn on the water, go inside and look for the silcock and inspect it for damage. You can do this with a flashlight, and you can also run your hands along the pipe and feel for bumps and breaks. If you find any, call your plumber and ask them to replace it right away! 

SERVPRO of Elgin/Northwest Kane County, 847.697.8500. Here to help!!