We Fix Broken & Busted Pipes
A busted pipe is one of the worst fears as a homeowner, luckily you found Reliant Plumbing. We’ve all heard horror stories of caved in ceilings, flooded homes and damaged walls. We understand this all too well after the multiple catastrophic snow storms of 2021 and 2023 in Texas. Fortunately, Reliant plumbers are extremely experienced in repairing broken pipes. We can send a reliant plumber out quickly, with little disruption to your home. We are now open locally in San Antonio, and we continue to service our Austin, Westlake, and Bastrop neighbors. Call Reliant Plumbing to see if we service your area.
Do You Have Busted Pipes?
If your pipe has burst unexpectedly, first and foremost turn off your water. This will prevent the water damage to your home from continuing to get worse. Next, you can test to see if the leak is on a hot or cold water line.
Start by turning off the control valve above your water and then turn your main water supply back on. If you don’t see any signs of the leak, this means the problem is on a hot water line and you can continue to use your cold water. If you still see signs of the leak, then you will need to turn your main water supply off and make do without water until the pipe can be repaired by a licensed plumber.
How to Prevent Broken Pipes
Protect Your Pipes From a Freeze
In Central Texas, we don’t see a lot of freezing winter days. Unfortunately, this means that many people in the area are unprepared to care for their plumbing when the temperature drops. When water freezes, it expands in volume by about 9 percent. But, it also expands in pressure going from 40 pounds per square inch to up to 40,000 psi! This additional pressure is actually what makes freezing the most common cause of busted pipes. Any time the forecast says freezing weather is a possibility, you must do a few simple things:
- Turn Your Faucets On – To keep water flowing through your pipes and make it more difficult to freeze, turn your faucets on to a slight drizzle and leave it on until temperatures rise above freezing. It is important to note that you need to keep both the hot and cold water on since these are two separate systems.
- Open Your Cabinets – Your kitchen sink and bathroom cabinets often conceal piping. You should open the doors of any cabinets with plumbing inside so that heat from the room can permeate through to the pipes.
- Detach Garden Hoses – Even when you turn off the spigot to your garden hose, there is still some water trapped in the hose. To prevent the possibility of this water entering the line and freezing, it’s best to completely detach any hoses.
- Insulate Outside Spigots – Everyone knows to use the hose bibb cover for the winter time. However, if it dips way below freezing, you will want added insulation before using a hose bibb cover. You can purchase an insulated faucet cover like the one pictured below at most hardware stores.
Weather in Texas can be completely unpredictable. If you leave your house for an extended time during the winter, you should leave the heat on in your house so that it does not drop below 55 degrees. This will help pipes maintain some level of warmth.
Prevent Clogged Pipes
It’s inevitable that some foreign objects are going to get stuck up in your pipes. Food, hair, paper, toys, greasy substances, and mineral build up can collect over time and clog your pipes. This can be incredibly inconvenient when your drains get slow or back up, but it also causes water pressure to build above normal levels in your pipes. This pressure can cause pipes to crack and break, especially if there are already vulnerable points. If you start to notice low water pressure, slow drains, or backed up fixtures, call us to clean your drain so we can relieve that pressure right away.
Replace Old Pipes
Plumbing technology has vastly improved over the last few decades. Prior to 1970, homes were piped with clay tile, cast iron, and thin wall PVC pipes. These materials will break down after 50 to 75 years in use. If your home uses these outdated materials, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll be dealing with multiple broken and busted pipes down the road. To avoid the headache of plumbing emergencies and save your home from unexpected water damage, you might want to consider re-piping to modern thick wall PVC. We know this can be an expensive investment, but we do offer 0% interest financing for 12 months to help. Contact Reliant Plumbing to learn more about how we can help you with your next plumbing emergency.
Learn More About Pipe Repairs and Our Other Services
Is Your Plumbing Ready for Winter?
Sewer & Drain Cleaning
Annual Reliant Plumbing Membership
Drain Cleaning & Removing Clogs
Slab Leak Detection & Repair
Is it Time to Replace Your Hot Water Heater?
Schedule Your Service
Our plumbing experts are available to take care of your repair today. They’ll evaluate your problem, provide a solution & upfront price, and then get to work!
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