When frozen pipes fail
December 1st 2006

The majority of claims involving burst pipes will come from the mains water pipe that leads into the loft, flooding the attic. If the policy holder has been away for the holidays (as is often the case) the upstairs and to a lesser extent the downstairs are likely to have been effected too. Bear in mind at this point that when a policy holder is away for 30 days or more, their policy often requires them to turn off their water to prevent accidents and to inform their insurance company.The problem comes when the mains water pipe at the top of the house freezes, often because of a small section that has been poorly insulated, or not insulated at all. Once the pipe thaws out there is a tremendous build up of pressure that is suddenly released into the property's water pipes.Unable to cope, the pipes burst, flooding the area extremely quickly.

If this has caused the buildings heating to fail, be sure to look for ice that may have formed. If this is the case do not think that installing refrigerant dehumidifiers alone will remove moisture.

These fail to work in low temperatures, instead the coils of the dehumidifier will freeze. If the heating system can be repaired quickly enough, or other heating appliances can be introduced then refrigerants can be used.

However, if this is not possible a desiccant dehumidifier will be needed, as it will draw on the heat production system it uses, plus they work readily in cold conditions.

If the worst has occurred and the buildings electricity has failed too then there is a greater problem; Technicians may be tempted to use a generator, but this will have its own problems; noise, refuelling and availability to name a few. No matter how urgent the job, do not be tempted to 'have a look' at the electricity yourself, it does not mix well with water! If there has been more than one house effected, e.g. a group of terraced houses, or perhaps a large commercial building then the Water-Out System could be considered.

Using hot gasses to exchange moist air for warm, dry air such machines can dry properties incredibly quickly.

Remember though that these systems will cost an insurance company a lot more than conventional equipment, though this cost can often be justified by the need for business continuity.

Further problems can occur attempting to locate the resulting standing water in loft spaces.Often the water will have been absorbed by insulation which may be hidden beneath planking.

Standing water may even be found beneath the insulation itself.As a result most insulation will need replacing, especially blown paper type insulation which will pack down and loose its insulation and sound qualities.However much you have to move insulation, be sure to wear the necessary PPE to prevent the ingestion of glass fibre or rock wool.

It is unlikely that the damage has been contained to the loft, remember to check the ceiling below. For more hints on this see this months article on ceilings.

Particularly relevant may be the need to drill a small hole to relieve pressure on the ceiling caused by standing water in the loft.

Technicians should also be aware of an extra danger; Sometimes water spills over into the wall cavity creating a completely different drying challenge.Walls built in the last ten years have spill holes inserted in the brick work and these allow for drying and the draining of the wall.

However, older properties will require a low level brick to be removed to drain the cavity and introduce a drying air system from the outside. If you decide to just install drying equipment inside, this means that the moisture has to be drawn into the building from the cavity. Not only is this extremely slow, it can be potentially damaging to the inside decoration. If you suspect this has happened, take a look at the wall from both the inside and outside of the building; if the moisture has been stuck for a sufficient length of time, there is likely to be a dark patch that runs the height of the building.

When dealing with burst pipes, do not assume the obvious damage is the only damage.Complete a full assessment before starting work, and consider alternative drying techniques to the traditional methods.A little more time thinking can save a lot of time drying!

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