What Causes Pipes to Burst in Winter?

When outdoor temperatures drop, the water inside your pipes can freeze. Water expands by roughly 9 percent as it turns to ice. That expansion pushes against the pipe walls, building pressure that can stress the material to its breaking point.

The pressure does not come from the ice itself pushing outward. It comes from the trapped water between the ice and a closed faucet or valve. As the ice grows, it squeezes that water, and the pressure spikes until the pipe gives way. A crack can happen even if the pipe looks intact from the outside.

The colder it gets, the faster pipes can freeze. But the duration of the cold matters just as much. A short dip below freezing may not cause a problem, while a long stretch of frigid nights can slowly chill the water to the freezing point.

Wind can speed up the cooling process by pulling heat away from exterior walls. A cold snap in Detroit, with its humid continental climate, can bring several days of well-below-freezing temperatures. That kind of weather is exactly when freeze-ups happen.

If a pipe bursts, shut off the main water valve immediately. That stops the flow and limits the flooding. Then open a cold faucet somewhere in the house to drain the remaining water and relieve pressure in the system.

Once the water is off, call local water damage pros to handle the cleanup. They can extract standing water, dry out the structure, and assess the damage. The longer water sits, the more it soaks into walls, floors, and belongings, so acting quickly matters.