PATERSON, NJ — The severe frost and subsequent thaw on Monday could cause devastating damage to water pipes outside and inside homes.
CBS New York has some tips on how to avoid the hassle of burst pipes.
Water gushed out of the ground in not one but two locations in Paterson – and also in Clifton – after the water main broke on Monday.
“There have been more than 10 water breaks since Friday night,” said Jim Mueller, executive director of the Passaic Valley Water Commission.
Mueller said a combination of factors, including temperatures that were below freezing and now above, were responsible for the spate of burst pipes.
“Pipes can expand and contract, the ground can expand and contract, and when it freezes, it expands and puts more pressure on the pipe,” Mueller said.
He said that the pressure increases with age.
“Our pipes, about 60 percent of them, are 100 to 140 years old,” said Müller.
Main water lines and pipes in houses collapse under the pressure of freezing and thawing weather.
“We received a lot of calls this morning about burst pipes and last night about frozen pipes,” said Chris Petri, operations manager for Petri Plumbing.
Petri says when temperatures drop below freezing, the most common call is that there is no running water.
“This is a frozen pipe. When this pipe freezes, the water actually expands,” Petri said.
And the pipes burst. Then, between 9 and 11 a.m., when the temperatures rise above freezing and the water thaws, the calls about burst pipes come in, and they're costly.
“From August 2022 to August 2023, our latest statistics showed that there were over 32,000 claims across the country, resulting in approximately $806 million in damages,” said Dave Phillips, a State Farm spokesman.
According to Phillips, New York ranks in the top five in terms of damages.
“It ranks fifth in damage caused by frozen pipes, with about 1,300 claims costing New York $45 million,” Phillips said.
New Jersey ranks 20th with $16 million and Connecticut ranks 25th with nearly $8.3 million.
According to experts, you can avoid the hassle and the loss to your bank account by doing the following:
- Insulating pipes
- Seal leaks to keep cold air out
- Make sure the heating is on
- Ensuring air circulation around pipes by opening interior doors and cabinets
“In winter, you don't always look there. But the place where you most often find a leaky or burst pipe is the outdoor faucet,” said Petri.
Insulate it too.
Parsippany Water Works said on social media that it repaired three water main breaks on Monday alone and that crews are now looking for a fourth.
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Vanessa Murdock
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