Neighbor News
Temperatures are a Dropping.....Pipes are a Popping. Beware of Frozen Pipes This Winter.
When temperatures drop during the winter months, your plumbing is at risk of freezing and bursting.
Frozen pipes are the last thing you want to come home and find as this homeowner did. Unfortunately, this is a constant occurrence in the winter months throughout Chicagoland. Frozen pipes are not uncommon and can do a lot more damage than one may think.
Click here to see a video of what happens when pipes burst.
When your pipes freeze they start to expand causing them to burst. Even a small crack can leak gallons and gallons of water into your home as shown in this homeowner's video. Dryway can only absorb so much water before it becomes weakened, causing it to fall apart. If damage is addressed immediately, the extent of the damage can be limited.
Find out what's happening in Homewood-Flossmoorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
It is recommended that you do not let the heat inside your home or business drop below 55 degrees in the winter. When outside temperatures drop below 20 degrees your pipes are at greater risk of potentially bursting. Older homes with exposed piping on outer walls pose the greatest risk, though any home is still at risk.
It is recommended that you have a reputable restoration contractor and plumber in place in case this occurs. After you have located your water shut off value and you have turned your water off, you will want to contact Rainbow International Restoration immediately upon discovering water damage. A service professional can help you determine if your insurance company should be notified about the loss or if your damage is less than your deductible and it is not in your best interest to file a claim. If your damage does not exceed your deductible, you would not want to file a homeowners claim because it can affect your C.L.U.E. report.
Find out what's happening in Homewood-Flossmoorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
If you have a homeowners claim, it is your responsibility to mitigate your loss (prevent further damage). This means you will want to address the source of the loss to make sure it does not happen again. Once you have notified your restoration contractor, you will want to notify your plumber. If you do not have a plumber Rainbow International Restoration would be happy to offer their plumber partners. Keep in mind that the source of the loss should typically be fixed before mitigation is performed. If clean up occurs and the source is not yet addressed you run the risk of incurring another water loss.
Even though a frozen pipe consists of clean water, a self clean up is not recommended. Without the equipment and technology a restoration company provides, people can easily overlook hidden damage that can lead to secondary damage (mold).
Be sure to store Rainbow International Restoration in your phone in case your home or business suffers water damage. The water damage experts at Rainbow International Restoration are available 24 hours a day to respond to your emergency and work with your insurance company.
Rainbow International® of South & West Suburbs is a winner of the Better Business Bureau's prestigious Torch Award, and is a locally recognized leader in the restoration and cleaning industry that services Chicagoland. Founded in 1981, Rainbow International Restoration provides emergency services to residential and commercial properties that have suffered fire, water and mold damage. For more information on Rainbow International please visit our website at www.rainbowrestore.net or contact our service line at 708-460-0911. Like Rainbow's Facebook Page for more informational updates.
