If you encounter a leak anywhere in your home it could be due to numerous things. You might have an improperly connected appliance. You might have a clog in a drain. You very well could have a broken parts in your toilet or sink. What you might not be thinking about is the possibility of a broken pipe. A broken pipe can cause quite a bit of damage to your home, especially if you don’t know where the break is or if you don’t have direct access to the break. Once you realize you have a significant plumbing problem you need to contact an experienced plumber in Mesquite, TX to examine your home, find the break, and make the necessary repairs to get you free of a leak immediately. Let’s take a look at the most common causes of broken pipes in the home in today’s post.
Corrosion
Depending on the age of the pipe it could be seriously corroded. Corrosion is nothing to mess with when it comes to broken pipes. If you can see most of the pipes in your home when in the basement and notice corrosion on one of them, don’t let it sit much longer. Contact a plumber to have the pipe replaced before it breaks and floods your basement. You might notice a pinhole leak in the pipe that causes tiny amounts of water to drip from the pipe. Do not ignore pinhole leaks or corroded pipes if you don’t want a major headache on your hands.
Freezing
The winters don’t get too cold in Texas but there’s always the possibility of pipes freezing if the temperatures drop low enough. Freezing causes pipes to break and once thawed the water can flood your home. Pipes can freeze when they are exposed to temperatures below 28 degrees fahrenheit. The pipes that are most susceptible to freezing in the winter months are found in unfinished basements and in attics.
Pressure from the Water
The pressure of the water flowing through the pipes in your home could wind up causing a pipe to break. When water is sent from the township or water company supply line to the home it needs to go through a pressure regulator. This regulator will lower the pressure or else it will be too high for your home’s pipes. Should the regulator fail, break, or not be programmed correctly it can cause the water pressure in your home to be too high. It should not be above 50 p.s.i. If the pressure gets high enough it can lead to a pipe breaking in your home.
Age of the Pipes
The age of the pipes in your home could be a big cause as to why one or more of them have broken recently. For the most part, a sewer line is built to last for a handful of decades. If you have an older home it usually means that the pipes in the home are just as old as the sewer line. These pipes could easily crack, break, collapse, separate from connections and suffer other issues due to the vast number of years that the pipes have been in use.
Poor Maintenance
Maintaining your home is an important part of ownership. You need regular maintenance on your heater, air conditioning unit, appliances and many other parts of the home to keep it running smoothly. The same can be said for the pipes and plumbing of your home. Regular cleaning of drains and other issues by a licensed and experienced plumber can help prevent issues down the road. If you have not been maintaining your sewer line it could lead to issues with your pipes, one of which could be pipes breaking due to poor maintenance.
Tree Roots
Tree roots can easily grow and puncture a pipe that is outside of your home. A tree root can break a pipe that leads into your home, cutting off the flow of water into the home or the removal of waste out of your home. Make sure you monitor how trees are growing near your home so the roots do not travel too closely to the pipes buried underground.
Human Error
Human error is another common cause of broken pipes in the home. A contractor might not be paying attention when using a nail gun or hanging sheetrock and puncture a pipe. A contractor or gas employee outside might be using heavy equipment that digs too deep into the ground, leading to a broken pipe.
If you have a broken pipe anywhere in your home or in the yard outside you need to speak with an experienced plumber immediately. Call the team at Metroplex Leak & Line Locators in Mesquite, TX to schedule an appointment
