Springtime in Kansas is when most people are motivated to get outside and start home maintenance, remodeling, and yard/landscaping projects. As you head outside to turn on that outside faucet, it is important to be mindful of the risk of water mitigation issues. The hose bibb or sillcock (outdoor water faucet attached to the exterior of your home) connection is a common place where water lines freeze during the cold winter months since this area is connected to the exterior of the home.

Why do water pipes freeze?

Water pipes may freeze due to poor insulation in the wall and floor joist area or because homeowners leave garden hoses connected to the hose bibb during cold weather. The frozen ice in the hose causes expansion in the hose bibb/sillcock area, thereby causing the line to burst. It is very likely the break in the pipe will go undiscovered for quite some time since the exterior hose it not typically used in the winter and because these breaks only leak when the exterior hose is sed. Since these breaks are typically smaller in scale, moisture in the walls and ceiling can remain undetected and eventually develop into mold on the drywall.

What does a pipe break look like?

This photo is from one of our customers who experienced a pipe break in the hose bibb area of his home. Since the leak was a larger break, it was discovered quickly. S&A Restoration (a division of S&A Construction, Inc. of Wichita, KS) was called to mitigate the water loss. S&A Restoration is equipped and qualified to help with any mitigation needs resulting from frozen pipes. However, informed and proactive homeowners can avoid or minimize such events by properly maintaining, insulating, and inspecting exterior hose bibb areas.

Have you suffered water damage?

S&A Restoration has worked to maintain the industries’ highest standards in water mitigation and has IICRC certified staff and technicians to provide our customers with expert knowledge and expert service. That is why it is important to call a BBB A+ rated professional water mitigation and restoration professional like S&A Restoration when you need help.

For those in the Wichita, KS area that need a water damage restoration service and contractor, give us a call at (316) 558-8422 day or night.