A.B.P. Plumbing & Gas for Burst Water Pipes

Leaking Water Pipe

 

At leaking water pipe is an inconvenient problem which is often easily dealt with.  

Having already found where the water is coming from will reduce costs significantly. If you can hear water running but you are unable to see any water coming from anywhere, I suggest waiting three days before a calling a plumber. Leak locating can be very time consuming exercise which will make the water use in waiting for the water to expose the location, very economical.

 

Don't worry, if the leak was in the wall or ceiling, you would know about it already. Water leaks are generally outside. The leak is most likely between the water meter and the property, or in the piping feeding the taps which are usually installed around the outside the building about 50cm from the outside walls below the ground.

Wait no more than three days !  Sometime the pipes are under the building (approx 1965 - 1975 buildings), the pipes are very deep, or something is preventing water coming to the surface.

 

For assistance with a leaking water pipe call    0414935499

 

 

 

 

Why Burst Pipes Occur ?

 

Water within water pipes is under high pressure. When the wall of the pipe has been weaken, water will force itself out.

Common reasons for the weakening of the pipe wall include, corrosion, wear from rubbing against a solid object, denting, stretching, drilling into concealed pipes in walls and animals chewing on plastic pipes.

 

There are currently seven different plastic water piping systems, as well as copper, the very rare stainless steel and the old galvanized iron pipes which by now almost all have been replaced because they have rusted out. With so many systems, and a limited space in a service vehicle, it is not always possible to do the repair without a trip to a supplier.

 

The Common Causes of Burst Water Pipes

 

Tree roots can push on pipes until they break. If concrete driveways can be lifted and walls broken up by a trees, it is easy to understand how a much weaker water pipe can be damaged. Bent and stretched until they break.

 

People digging in the garden or tradespeople excavating can dent piping. The dent will be of no consequence at the time, but a dent in a pipe, is a wear point as the water rubs upon it, as it travels past. The Grand Canyon was cut by water, a dent can be just as easily worn away until the pipe has a hole in it. 

 

Corrosion does not happen only occur in steel piping. The most common cause of burst water pipes, is copper in high salt soils or heavily fertilized soil corroding the pipe. The hot pipe will be the first to corrode through, because corrosion is a chemical reaction taking place. The heat from the hot water traveling down the pipe, heats the pipe and speeds up the rate of corrosion. Properties which have reoccurring burst pipes in different positions around the building will require new piping to be installed. Plastic which doesn't corrode is the best option for below ground in high salt soils or new copper pipes fixed to the wall above the corroding soils.

 

Water pipes expand and contract with changes in temperature. If the pipe is in contact with a hard object such as another pipe, stone, bricks, cement, concrete, etc. Over time the pipe will rub a hole through itself. It is very rare it will occur in a wall.

 

For assistance with a leaking water pipe call    0414935499