Burst Pipes Christchurch

In Christchurch a burst pipe very often starts with a frost. Water freezes in an exposed pipe under the house, in the garage or in the roof space, the ice expands, and the leak only shows itself once the morning sun thaws it out. Shut the water off at your main valve or the toby, then call a licensed emergency plumber.

We repair the split section, check the rest of the run for frost damage you cannot see yet, and lag the pipes that are exposed so a cold snap is no longer a gamble.

Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.

Burst Pipes Jobs We Handle Across Christchurch

• Burst water pipe
• Burst pipe under the house
• Split polybutylene pipe
• Broken water main to the house
• Insurance burst pipe reports
• Water coming through the ceiling

Frost, frozen pipes and why they split

Christchurch gets about 80 ground frost days a year, and the airport averages around 50 nights below zero. A southerly can bring a hard frost to the plains, and the coldest temperature on record for the city is minus 9.4 C at Wigram in 1945. In July 2015, after temperatures dropped to minus 5, the council took more than 100 calls about frozen pipes in a single cold snap.

Master Plumbers warns that freezing can split pipes, fittings and even hot water cylinders. The pipes at most risk are the ones with cold air all around them:

• Supply pipe running up an outside wall to an outdoor tap or cylinder
• Pipes under suspended timber floors in older bungalows with open subfloor vents
• Pipework in unheated garages, sleepouts and laundries
• Pipes in the roof space above insulation, especially on a header tank system
• The supply pipe where it comes out of the ground near the boundary
• Irrigation lines and backflow devices left full of water over winter

Not every burst is the frost

Plenty of Christchurch bursts happen in summer too. Galvanised steel pipe rusts through from the inside in older houses, grey polybutylene and its fittings age badly, and flexi hoses under sinks and toilets corrode until the braid lets go. On flat land in the east, ground movement since the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes has put strain on some buried supply pipes, and joints made during quake repairs are now more than a decade old.

When we find the cause, we tell you plainly whether it was a one-off or a sign the rest of the pipe is near the end of its life. If it is, we can quote for repiping the run while access is already open.

How It Works

Our repair, step by step

First we make sure the water is off and the area is safe, including any electrics near the leak. If a pipe is still frozen we thaw it gently and never with a naked flame. Then we cut out the damaged section and replace it with the correct material for your system, whether that is copper, PEX or a transition fitting between old and new pipe.

Before the water goes back on we pressure test the repair and inspect the pipe either side. Ice can stretch a pipe well beyond the visible split, so on a frost burst we check the whole exposed run, not just the wet spot.

Insurance, the excess water charge and what affects the cost

Many house policies cover sudden water damage from a burst pipe, though cover for the pipe itself and your excess vary between insurers. We give you dated photos of the failure, the repair and the affected area, plus a written description of the cause.

That paperwork helps with your water bill too. Christchurch City Council charges households for water use above a daily allowance, and it offers a remission when high use came from a leak that was repaired promptly. In Selwyn, homes on council supplies pay for every cubic metre, so a burst costs money from the first litre. The final price depends on:.

• Where the pipe is: under a timber floor, in a ceiling, behind tiles or in a slab
• Pipe material and size, and whether a transition fitting is needed
• After-hours, weekend or public holiday attendance
• How much pipe has frost or corrosion damage once we see it
• Lagging or rerouting exposed pipes so they do not freeze again

Stopping the next freeze

Master Plumbers recommends lagging pipes that are outside, in garages, in roof spaces and under floors. We fit proper pipe insulation to exposed runs, reroute pipes away from outside walls where that is practical, and make sure you have a shut-off you can actually reach in a hurry.

On a frosty night it also helps to know where your main valve is and to drain outdoor taps and irrigation for winter. During the 2015 cold snap the council advised people with frozen pipes to run the cold tap for up to an hour once water started flowing again. If nothing comes out at all, or you can see ice on a split pipe, keep the water off and call us. We work right across the city, from Halswell and Hornby out to Rolleston and Rangiora.

Why Choose Cheeky's Plumbers for Burst Pipes

Burst Pipes FAQs

Burst Pipes Across Christchurch

Our burst pipes team works in every Christchurch suburb. Find your local plumbers:

Burst Pipes Guides

• Christchurch Excess Water Charge: Find the Leak Before the Bill Does
• Pipe Lagging and Hot Water Cylinder Wraps for Canterbury Winters
• Frozen Pipes in Christchurch: How to Thaw Them and Stop Them Bursting

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