Why pipes split in Newmarket winters
Lake Simcoe weather swings hard: minus twenty overnight, then a thaw by lunchtime. Lines that run along exterior walls, over garages, through crawlspaces or out to a hose bib are the ones that let go. Ice forms in one spot, water trapped behind it has nowhere to go as more ice forms, and the copper or PEX stretches until it tears along a seam. Garage ceilings below bonus rooms are a repeat offender in the subdivisions north of Davis Drive.
First ten minutes
- Shut the main valve and open a cellar tap to drain the lines.
- Switch off power to any circuit anywhere water is dripping near fixtures or panels.
- Catch what you can with buckets and towels, and poke a small hole in a sagging ceiling bubble so it drains in one spot instead of collapsing.
- Call us, then call your insurer.
- Keep the heat on; do not turn off the furnace thinking it will help.
Permanent repair
We cut back past the split to sound pipe, usually several inches either side, and install a new section with proper fittings rather than a band clamp. Then we ask why it froze. Often the answer is a missing piece of insulation, a gap in the rim joist letting wind in, or a line that should never have been on an outside wall. Where we can, we reroute the pipe into heated space or add foam insulation and seal the draft so the same spot does not catch you next February.
Signs you need this in your house
- A bulge or hairline split on copper near an outside wall
- Hissing behind finished drywall
- Sudden drop in pressure upstairs
- Ice-cold supply line in a garage ceiling
Questions people ask us
Will a blow dryer thaw it safely?
Yes, on low heat, moving from the open tap toward the ice. Never use an open flame or a heat gun on pipes inside walls.
Does insurance cover burst pipes?
Most home policies cover sudden bursts, but not slow leaks or freezes in houses left without heat. Read your wording or ask your broker.