Warm Temps Cause Winter Pipes to Burst

MyFox29.com
Created On: Monday, 02 Feb 2009, 5:16 PM CST
Maggie Habashy

MINNEAPOLIS - Although Minnesotans dream of the warmer days after the long, freezing winters, pipes bursting is causing a whole other headache.

Don Doty from Homeplace Inspections thinks people believe gutters cause ice dams, but he says it has nothing to do with that.

He says it has everything to do with insulation and ventilation.

Thawing causes the water damage, not the freezing.

The water in the pipes will freeze up during the sub arctic temperatures, split the pipe and when it warms up, the water sprays out of the pipe.

Doty says that one of the problems is pipes that are not insulated for Minnesota winters.

To avoid expensive repairs, it is important to make sure water is turned off and drained in the fall.