Ames Area Residents: Don’t Let Your Garden Hose Be the Culprit of Water Damage

5/7/2020 (Permalink)

If you used your garden hose and didn't unhook it before temperatures dropped below freezing, make sure you check for a cracked water pipe.

Remember that warm week in early April? People were thronging places like Ledges State Park near Boone and thoroughly enjoying the weather. 

Have You Ever Done This?

We had one client in Ames whose son took advantage of the near 80-degree temps to hook up the hose and wash his car. Lots of people probably did. 

Of course, Iowa temps in April are a crazy roller coaster, and about a week later they dropped below freezing, with a little bit of snow and ice to boot. The water left in the line from the hose still being hooked to the house expanded and cracked the copper water pipe that ran inside. And the homeowner had no idea. Guess what happened.

The Unsuspected Culprit

Once it warmed back up, they turned on the hose again without realizing water was running down into their basement. We see this a lot.

If it’s a big crack, it will cause immediately noticeable water damage. If it’s a small one, it causes a leak that can go unnoticed and result in mold formation. Either way, you can prevent it.

How To Prevent Water Damage From Your Garden Hose After a Freeze

If you used your hose during that early warm streak and haven’t turned it on again, and if the water pipe is exposed, you can simply go down to where the line comes into your basement, have someone turn the hose on full blast and monitor the pipe for any leaking. 

If you have turned on your hose again after using it during the warm weather, you should go inspect the area around the pipe in your basement for any signs of water leaking or damage. 

To prevent this in the future, make sure you winterize by unhooking all garden hoses well before temperatures drop below freezing in the fall and waiting to reattach until temperatures have stabilized in the spring. If you do use your hose in early spring, it’s always good to unhook it immediately afterward. 

See any problems or have concern? Call us right away at 515-233-4544. Water can spread and be absorbed quickly, so you don’t want to wait.

SERVPRO of Ames Will Guide You to the Right Solution

SERVPRO of Ames is locally owned and close by, available 24 hours/7 days per week. Our highly trained and IICRC-certified staff is ready to come out and let you know what needs to be done, whether our services are needed or not, at no charge. 

If you just need a plumber - we’ll tell you that. If you need help with water damage repair and/or mold remediation, you can trust SERVPRO as the No. 1 brand in the restoration industry.

We have superior equipment and tools to evaluate your damage and make all the repairs so it’s “Like it never even happened.”