WE PROVIDE 24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE
WE PROVIDE 24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE
PLUMBING & DRAIN SERVICES IN BARRIE
Winter in Barrie can take a toll on your plumbing. As temperatures fall, water that is trapped in certain pipes can freeze, causing enough pressure to rupture the pipe.
Occasionally you’ll notice that a faucet will abruptly stop working. Other times you may not notice there is even an issue until the frozen portion starts to thaw and leaks water into your home.
Sureflow Plumbing & Drain offers frozen pipe and burst pipe services for homes and businesses in Barrie. We can check the pipes if you suspect one may be frozen or if you already have water leaking from a burst pipe. We’ll inspect the situation and figure out what needs to be done.
Ideally, you’ll want to take care of a frozen pipe before it turns into a burst pipe.
Exterior walls, crawlspaces, garages, basements and other areas of your home that may not get enough heat can be more susceptible when the weather is cold. If temperatures drop below freezing, pipes in these areas can be at risk.
Some symptoms of a frozen pipe include:
If you think you may have a frozen pipe, it’s best to take care of it before the pipe bursts.
Water freezes when the surrounding temperature is cold enough. As water freezes inside a pipe, it expands. This puts pressure on the inside of the pipe.
The frozen area isn’t always where the break will occur. Pressure can build between an ice blockage and a closed faucet or valve.
Water pipes can be prone to freezing when they are located in:
Extreme cold and poor insulation don’t mix well.
A frozen pipe will not always begin leaking while it is frozen. The frozen water inside the pipe can prevent leakage until it begins to thaw.
Once the water begins running through the broken pipe, you will likely see the effects. What once was a small crack can turn into gushing water.
The water can quickly spread to:
If you discover water after a freeze, turn off the water if possible and call for plumbing repair.
If you have a burst pipe, it may be quite apparent. However, sometimes the leaking pipe is hidden behind a wall or ceiling.
Here are some clues that may indicate you have a burst pipe:
If you think you have a burst pipe, it’s best not to use your plumbing system any further.
If you have a burst pipe, you want to contain the damage as best as you can by stopping any more water from entering the broken pipe.
If you know where your main shut-off valve is and can get to it safely, shut off the water coming into your home.
You should also try to:
Your safety should be your number one priority. If you need to cross wet areas to reach the shut-off valve or access the damaged pipe, do not put yourself at risk.
If water is around electrical equipment, outlets or fixtures, avoid the area until the water has been turned off and everything is safe.
If one of your pipes bursts, water can escape quickly. This can create an emergency situation because the more water that leaks, the more damage that can happen.
Sureflow offers 24-hour emergency plumbing service in Barrie for situations that can’t wait. If you have water leaking that you cannot turn off, call our office immediately.
Just because you have a frozen pipe doesn’t mean it has burst. There are times where the pipe is still intact and just needs to be safely thawed.
You want to make sure there is no damage to the pipe before normal water flow returns.
After thawing, you will want to check for:
If there is damage to the pipe, you may need to repair or replace that section. Cutting off the water and calling a plumber may be the best option.
Do not use a torch or another open-flame device to thaw your pipes. Not only is this a fire hazard, but it could damage your pipes or materials around the pipe.
A frozen pipe could be located near:
Call a professional if you are not sure how to safely deal with frozen plumbing.
Your home does not expose every pipe to the same freezing temperatures. One pipe might run along an exterior wall while another runs through a heated interior room.
Some reasons why one pipe may freeze include:
If the same pipe freezes over and over, you may want to investigate why that section of your home is so cold.
During extreme cold weather, pipes that run inside exterior walls can freeze if there is inadequate insulation between the pipe and the outside temperature.
The issue can be difficult to identify because the pipe is located behind drywall. You may notice that a nearby faucet has low or no water flow. If the pipe bursts, you may see water stains or moisture on the wall.
If the same area freezes frequently, it could mean the plumbing needs additional protection from the cold.
Basements and crawlspaces can have water lines that run through areas with colder temperatures.
Look for pipes near:
Leaks may go unnoticed in basements or crawlspaces if they are not regularly visited. During cold temperatures, it’s worth looking in these areas for frost, moisture or suspected plumbing problems.
Think your garage is cool in the summer? It can get far colder than the rest of your home during the winter months.
Plumbing running through or near a garage wall or ceiling could be more exposed to extreme cold temperatures.
Water lines that supply:
could be affected depending on how the plumbing runs through your home.
If you’ve experienced freezes near your garage in the past, it may be worth checking those areas more closely when the weather is very cold outside.
Did you know outdoor faucets could create problems inside your home during the winter?
Any water that’s left inside an outdoor faucet or hose can freeze. This can cause damage to the faucet itself or, in some cases, the pipe within your wall that leads to the faucet.
You may not even realize there is a problem until the springtime or until you go to turn the faucet on.
Removing hoses and preparing outdoor faucets before freezing temperatures can help reduce the risk.
We can’t control Mother Nature, but there are steps you can take to help prevent your pipes from freezing.
Some of these tips include:
If you’ve had a pipe freeze more than once, there could be an underlying insulation or exposure issue that needs to be addressed.
Allowing a small trickle of water to move through a vulnerable line may sometimes help during extreme cold.
However, this shouldn’t replace proper insulation or fixing an ongoing cold-air issue.
Every plumbing system is unique. If you’re frequently experiencing freeze-ups in one area of your home, identify the cause instead of relying on running your faucet every winter.
After we repair the broken area of your pipe, we want to make sure the rest of your plumbing isn’t leaking and that it’s okay to turn your water back on.
If there’s an underlying reason the pipe froze, such as being located in an area that frequently becomes very cold, it could freeze again.
Depending on the situation, you may want to consider:
Repairing the broken pipe is the immediate priority, but you also want to reduce the chance of the same problem happening again.
Copper pipes are susceptible to splitting or cracking when severe pressure builds up inside them. Sometimes the damage is visible. Other times you won’t see the break until water starts leaking out.
If you know you have a frozen copper pipe, be cautious when your water turns back on. Even a small crack can leak a lot of water when thawed.
PEX tubing can be slightly flexible compared with rigid pipe, but it can still be affected by freezing conditions.
Connections and fittings can still become damaged, and repeated freezing is not ideal anywhere in your plumbing.
If a PEX pipe freezes and you aren’t sure if damage happened, have the plumbing inspected as it thaws.
You may not even know that a pipe froze. After several days of extreme cold, you might discover:
It’s possible that water froze inside and damaged the pipe, creating a leak.
New water damage appearing after cold weather could mean your plumbing needs to be checked.
Locating a burst pipe behind a finished wall can be more difficult. Water can run along wood framing or other surfaces before dripping down.
You may notice a water stain several feet away from where the leak actually happened.
Possible indicators include:
If you notice water actively leaking into the wall, turn off the water supply if possible and call for service.
Leaks can occur above ceilings and affect large areas because of the way water spreads.
The first thing you may notice is a stain. As the leak worsens, water can begin to drip or pour through the ceiling.
Take care if the leak is near light fixtures or electrical wiring. Avoid touching electrical fixtures in wet areas.
Sureflow offers frozen pipe and burst pipe service for residential customers throughout Barrie.
This includes:
If your water suddenly stops flowing during freezing temperatures or you think you may have a burst pipe, we can assess the situation and let you know what needs to be done.
Commercial buildings can also experience frozen pipes.
Pipes can freeze or burst in:
Sureflow offers plumbing services for commercial properties in Barrie.
We service:
A frozen pipe that bursts can cause water damage throughout a commercial building.
Vacant homes and buildings can be at risk if the heat gets turned down too low or a heating malfunction goes unnoticed.
With no one consistently inside the building, you may not discover a frozen pipe until damage has already occurred.
Owners and property managers should ensure their buildings stay properly heated when the weather gets cold. Long-term vacancies may require additional attention to plumbing and winterization.
A frozen pipe within a multi-unit building can impact more than one tenant. Water can leak between units, floors and common areas.
Property managers may discover:
Responding as soon as possible can help prevent additional areas of the building from being affected.
Yes, it can be considered an emergency.
Just because your frozen pipe isn’t leaking now doesn’t mean it couldn’t become damaged. Once water starts leaking, you want to move as quickly as possible.
Consider these situations more urgent:
If you’re not sure, give us a call. Explain the situation and we can help determine if emergency service may be needed.
If you discover a burst pipe, attempt to shut off the water if it is safe.
Otherwise, you may want to:
Only take action if it is safe to do so.
Locating your main water shut-off valve is something every homeowner should do before encountering an emergency such as a burst pipe.
If you discover a burst pipe, you can limit further water damage by shutting off the main water valve.
You should know:
Don’t wait until a pipe freezes and bursts to find out your shut-off valve is rusted shut.
Winter in Barrie can be hard on your plumbing. If your water stops flowing during cold weather, you see frost on your pipes or water is leaking after freezing temperatures, you should take action.
Sureflow Plumbing & Drain offers frozen pipe and burst pipe repair in Barrie for both homeowners and business owners. Our technicians can evaluate your plumbing system, find the source of the problem and determine whether the pipe may need to be thawed, repaired or replaced.
We also offer 24-hour emergency plumbing service for urgent burst-pipe problems.
Call Sureflow Plumbing & Drain at 705-503-7996 for frozen pipe or burst pipe service in Barrie.
Little or no water may come from a fixture, frost may be visible on exposed pipes or plumbing may stop abruptly during cold weather.
No.
If a pipe freezes, it will not always burst. Freezing can create pressure inside the pipe that may cause damage. You may not see the problem until the pipe thaws.
If possible, turn off the water supply and call a plumber. Keep everyone away from water near electrical equipment.
No.
Never use an open flame to thaw frozen pipes. There is a risk of fire and damage to walls, cabinets, insulation and other materials.
Your pipe may have developed a crack while it was frozen. Ice inside the line may temporarily prevent the leak from becoming visible. Once thawed, the leak may appear.
Yes, depending on the type of damage that has occurred. The affected section may need to be repaired or replaced.
Yes. Sureflow offers frozen pipe services for residential and commercial properties in Barrie.
Yes. Sureflow provides 24-hour emergency plumbing services for urgent situations such as burst water pipes in Barrie.
