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No Burst Pipe Irony

by Alan Petersen
16 replies
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Woke up a few days to water gushing from under my kitchen sink. Luckily we were home so no water damage. I had to get a new pipe to replace the busted one. $4 spent at Home Depot. Incredible how much water damage a $4 part could have caused.

Anyway, once all was back to normal I looked at the broken pipe and just had to laugh since they claim it's "No Burst"... does this look like no burst?

  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    This is funny, Alan.

    I'm assuming that was either the hot or cold line, and not a single line that both the hot and cold feed into. If that's the case, you might want to replace the other one too. If they are about the same age the other line could be weak as well, and you might not be home next time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Roaddog
    Oh, I feel for you Alan.

    Nothing is "no burst", despite the cute sub brand name.
    I was in construction for a long time. Licensed, own business and all.

    First a little advice, if you live in a house, check your pressure (edit duh me: after the pressure regulator, if you have one, if not get one). If you live in a condo...suggest it to the HOA. The cities can and do turn up city pressure without notifying anyone. While I have seen steel braided supplies like that burst, it is the exception to the rule.

    Glad you where home. Yours is a half inch supply line, the following is about a 3/4 steel line (these days only one size bigger)

    Now a wee story that might make you feel better.

    One time in LA working on the westside I got a call on a Friday afternoon about a leak in a (If I remember correctly) 19) story building near downtown. Way inland. I wasn't going to go, I didn't specialize in service, but new construction.
    But they sounded desperate and it was close to my old neighborhood.
    (Remember Friday..L.A.)
    Anyway getting across LA in rush hour on a Friday is no mean feat. It took me 2 hours. I get there and they had managed to turn off the water, turns out it was a condo unit. Someone had hired an unlicensed plumber and he had broken a 3/4 inch line on the 9th floor, inside the unit, and split. It was running for over an hour. Found the valves and shut that off and turned on the main.
    Long story short. there was about 1 and a half million dollars damage done in that 1, 1 and a half hours. I can't repeat here what I said after seeing that...lol

    2 of 3 elevators out, 3 out of the 5 Raypacks on the roof burned out (hot water burners) and every unit under that side of the building eight floors, with (drywall) walls and ceilings coming down. You might be able to imagine.

    I bid the job later, but didn't get it.

    The one thing I still laugh about sometimes, was the HOA head cookie ask me if I could fix it tonight...lol. All the damage.

    So be happy you were home...and check the water pressure coming in...75 psi MAX. Not to mention, check all your stops (shutoffs)


    Hope you feel better.

    and good luck
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    • Profile picture of the author Alan Petersen
      I live in a house which we just bought last month so the first house freak out. We estimate the water ran for about 20 minutes. It was 5:00 AM and I'm a light sleeper so I heard what sounded like the shower upstairs running (our master bedroom is downstairs). My in-laws where visiting so I thought maybe they where showering but it was too early so I got out of bed and the water was already gushing out from underneath the kitchen and it covered the kitchen floor and water was running down the stairs!

      My wife and I were in shock we didn't know what going on. I panicked and shut the valve under the kitchen sink vs. just going to the main water valve in the garage.

      It took my wife, in-laws, and myself about an hour to mop the water so yea that little pipe burst could have done some serious damage to our house.

      Like I said my in-laws where in town for a visit and we were heading out that morning to show them around town so had this happened at say 9:00 AM that sucker would have gushed water all freaking day so we were very lucky on the timing of the burst!


      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      This is funny, Alan.

      I'm assuming that was either the hot or cold line, and not a single line that both the hot and cold feed into. If that's the case, you might want to replace the other one too. If they are about the same age the other line could be weak as well, and you might not be home next time.
      That's a great idea Dennis, thank you. I hadn't thought about that. The pipe that burst had a 10 year warranty and a date stamp of May 2001 so 10 years and five months later it burst!

      I'm going to change out the other ones just to be safe. It only cost $4 at Home Depot so that is a bargain for the peace of mind.


      Originally Posted by Roaddog View Post

      Oh, I feel for you Alan.

      Nothing is "no burst", despite the cute sub brand name.
      I was in construction for a long time. Licensed, own business and all.

      First a little advice, if you live in a house, check your pressure
      Interesting! Our inspector (during the purchase phase of the house) put this in his report:

      Water Pressure: 100 lbs. psi. This is excessive pressure. Recommends 80 lbs psi
      He recommended we install a "Pressure Reduction Valve".

      The super duper water pressure in the shower is nice but after this problem I think it's time for me to call a plumber to get that reduction valve installed.

      Thanks!
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      • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
        Originally Posted by Alan Petersen View Post

        That's a great idea Dennis, thank you. I hadn't thought about that. The pipe that burst had a 10 year warranty and a date stamp of May 2001 so 10 years and five months later it burst!

        I'm going to change out the other ones just to be safe. It only cost $4 at Home Depot so that is a bargain for the peace of mind.
        Just doing my part to get the economy going by convincing other people to spend money.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by Alan Petersen View Post

        I live in a house which we just bought last month so the first house freak out. We estimate the water ran for about 20 minutes. It was 5:00 AM and I'm a light sleeper so I heard what sounded like the shower upstairs running (our master bedroom is downstairs). My in-laws where visiting so I thought maybe they where showering but it was too early so I got out of bed and the water was already gushing out from underneath the kitchen and it covered the kitchen floor and water was running down the stairs!

        My wife and I were in shock we didn't know what going on. I panicked and shut the valve under the kitchen sink vs. just going to the main water valve in the garage.

        It took my wife, in-laws, and myself about an hour to mop the water so yea that little pipe burst could have done some serious damage to our house.

        Like I said my in-laws where in town for a visit and we were heading out that morning to show them around town soYeah had this happened at say 9:00 AM that sucker would have gushed water all freaking day so we were very lucky on the timing of the burst!




        That's a great idea Dennis, thank you. I hadn't thought about that. The pipe that burst had a 10 year warranty and a date stamp of May 2001 so 10 years and five months later it burst!

        I'm going to change out the other ones just to be safe. It only cost $4 at Home Depot so that is a bargain for the peace of mind.




        Interesting! Our inspector (during the purchase phase of the house) put this in his report:

        He recommended we install a "Pressure Reduction Valve".

        The super duper water pressure in the shower is nice but after this problem I think it's time for me to call a plumber to get that reduction valve installed.

        Thanks!
        Yeah, my blood pressure was high. Might be one reason my aorta basically blew up. You can get a new showerhead to make the pressure FEEL better.

        I DO turn the water off between engagements, Onereason is because my hot water heater could have been on its last leg. As I recall, the cathode lasted about 5 years, and I replaced it after about 6. The water heater started leaking after around 10 years. I ended up having it replaced.

        Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    It reminds me of the "no tear" tape I used when moving stuff to another city. It was torn to shreds by the movements of the moving truck.

    (Might be something for rubber-users to ponder, lol.)
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    It ran for less than 2 hours, and did that much damage that quickly? WOW! But YEAH, I doubt anything is non burst AND, if they had such an animal, it WOULD cost a lot.

    As for pressure, a friend suggested that I turn off the water during engagements. The sound of the pipes expanding caused me to second guess that.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Roaddog
    Steve,

    Out of a ninth story apartment straight down, are you kidding me?

    A 1/2 inch line at 1/2 an hour can cause massive damage, let alone that what I described. Even for me that had seen many badly built disasters, that was something.

    Water gets into places nothing else will ( why do I feel like quoting Bruce Lee here..."be water my fwiend").

    Water is one powerful element and no one thinks about it until they are drowning...lol.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by Roaddog View Post

      Steve,

      Out of a ninth story apartment straight down, are you kidding me?

      A 1/2 inch line at 1/2 an hour can cause massive damage, let alone that what I described. Even for me that had seen many badly built disasters, that was something.

      Water gets into places nothing else will ( why do I feel like quoting Bruce Lee here..."be water my fwiend").


      Water is one powerful element and no one thinks about it until they are drowning...lol.
      Oh, I KNOW it is powerful. It can destroy sheetrock, damage paper, soil carpeting, and start causing wood to rot, etc.... And I bet it makes it easier for termites. I was just surprised that it let so much of the water come down, and that that effect was noticed in that time and they couldn't even turn the water off. When they showed me my home, I heard a story of how someone wanted to see the back of a refrigerator. They moved it so she could see it and three days later the home was TOAST! The little connection for the icmaker came undone and nobody was there to attend to it.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Great story, Jim. Can't relate to this - I have never had a pipe burst. From this thread I can honestly say I hope I never do.
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    • Profile picture of the author Roaddog
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      Great story, Jim. Can't relate to this - I have never had a pipe burst. From this thread I can honestly say I hope I never do.

      Well that was one of a few, over whatever it was, with the old military interruption there. Probably twenty eight years ( I usually say thirty just to make it easier ...lol)

      That was the worst water damage though.
      The most massive damage I saw was after the Northridge quake. Helping a friend rewire a huge Apt. complex in the San Fernando Valley.

      Just trying to make Alan feel better. It sucks to have that happen in your house, no matter how small.
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  • Profile picture of the author Roaddog
    Yea... 100 psi is not way over, but can still cause problems over time.

    80 psi is 'official' code, I would still set it to 75 psi, you won't notice that difference.

    The highest I ever saw was in Pacific Palisades, (gravity fed water tower) when I was rebuilding houses burned in the Malibu fires way back when.
    Stopped with a friend to a dripping faucet call he had...
    319 psi    , it was unreal, we had to go get a 600 pound gauge, because it 'pegged' the 300 pounder.

    The lady told me her valves had been leaking for a while.

    I told her "Lady, your lucky your valves are still on the wall"

    Anywho...yea, get that taken care of, it will spare you heartache in the end.
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  • Profile picture of the author DrewBru75
    That sucks! Sue the company! Lol
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by DrewBru75 View Post

      That sucks! Sue the company! Lol
      DREAM ON! There are too many problems with that.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alan Petersen
      Originally Posted by DrewBru75 View Post

      That sucks! Sue the company! Lol
      The pipe had a 10 year guarantee and it burst at 10 years, 5 months so they're covered. Plus the PSI is above the recommended so that's a no go there.

      Had their been serious water damage our home owners insurance would have covered but what a pain that would have been.

      I'm just happy it worked out in the end.

      Interesting side note, the replacement pipe I bought, no longer has "No Burst" on the tag so someone must have sued them or they decided there is no such thing as no burst even if it's not their fault.
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