Burst Pipe Repair in Markham

Signs you need burst pipe repair

The obvious sign is water spraying or pouring from a line. The less obvious signs are a sudden drop in pressure at every tap, a water meter dial that keeps spinning with everything turned off, or a wet patch on drywall along an outside wall. During a deep freeze, a tap that gives nothing but a trickle may be sitting behind an ice plug, and the split often shows up only once it thaws.

Our routine on the day

We start by making sure the supply is shut and the space is safe. Next we open up a small opening in drywall or ceiling, only what it takes to expose the damage clearly. Copper is cut back to sound pipe and joined with new fittings; PEX is repaired with crimp or expansion fittings rated for the job. If the failure came from freezing, we look at why that stretch of pipe got cold in the first place.

Once the repair is in, the system is refilled slowly, bled of air and checked under full pressure. We then show you the repair before the opening is closed, so you know what is behind the wall.

Markham houses and what shapes this job

Many homes built in the 1970s and 1980s around Markville, Middlefield and Milliken Mills ran supply lines through unheated garages or bump-out walls. Those runs are the usual suspects when the temperature drops below minus twenty. Homes in Angus Glen and Cachet with large windows over kitchen sinks sometimes have lines tucked into cold exterior cabinets.

Older galvanized pipe can also fail from the inside out, rusting thin until a small pressure spike splits it. In that case a patch buys time, but we will tell you honestly if the rest of the line is close behind and whether repiping makes more sense.

Outdoor taps deserve a mention. A hose left connected through the cold months leaves a plug of water in a frost-free bib, which may crack it inside the wall, where nobody notices until spring. Our winterizing note explains the simple fix.

Preventing the next one

After the repair we may suggest foam insulation on exposed runs, sealing a draughty rim joist, or rerouting a line away from an outside wall. These are modest jobs, and they tend to end the yearly cycle of thaw and drip.

Ring us without delay if

Call as soon as you have shut off the main. Every hour of standing water wicks further into drywall, subfloor and insulation. If you cannot stop the flow, call while you keep looking for the valve, and we will talk you through it. For tips on keeping pipes warm through the season, see our piece on frozen pipes in a Markham winter.

What we check before we pack up

1. Read static pressure at a hose bib
2. Pressure-test new pipe before closing walls

Markham note. Markham water service lines enter on the street-facing basement wall, and the main shut-off and meter usually sit right there. In older houses that valve is often a rusty multi-turn gate valve left untouched since the house was built.

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