Telltale signs: burst pipe repair
Pipes give way for a few reasons: ice expanding inside them, corrosion thinning the wall until it splits, a fitting pulled apart by movement, or a nail driven through during a renovation. You will usually know. Water sprays, a ceiling bulges, or the meter spins with every tap closed.
What we bring
- Copper, PEX and transition fittings
- Tubing cutter, torch, crimp and press tools
- Moisture meter and pressure gauge
Tested before we leave
- Section held under house pressure
- Joints wiped and checked dry
- Main reopened slowly to push out the air
On the job: what we open, clear and test
With the main closed, we open enough of the wall or ceiling to see the whole damaged length. Frozen copper often splits in more than one place, and the second split may be a metre away from the obvious one, so we inspect both directions. The failed section is cut out and new pipe joined in with soldered or press fittings; PEX may be used where it suits the run.
Before the water goes back on, we look at why it happened. A pipe along an exterior wall gets insulation or rerouting. A run of galvanized that is rotting from inside may need more than a patch, and we will explain where a larger replacement, perhaps a water service line, makes sense.
- Isolate and drain the affected line
- Expose and inspect the full length
- Cut out and replace the damaged section
- Pressure the line and check every joint
- Protect against a repeat
What can change the job
Access determines most of the time involved. Finished basements, tiled bathrooms and cabinetry slow things down. Some repairs, especially those that alter a supply layout, fall under permit rules; our guide to plumbing permits in Toronto explains when.
Etobicoke homes and this job
Cold snaps catch out the same places every year: pipes in garage walls, kitchens over unheated crawlspaces, and supply lines run through the back of a closet on a north wall. Post-war homes in Alderwood and New Toronto often still have galvanized branches that fail from the inside, unrelated to frost. If a pipe has frozen but not yet burst, frozen pipe thawing is the call to make.
Before you call
Close the main, switch off the water heater, and move belongings away from the wet area. Then ring (365) 816-2905.