Commercial Burst and Frozen Pipe Repair in St. Louis

What to do first

1. 1

   Shut off the water at the closest valve to the break; use the building main if you can't find one.

2. 2

   Keep people away from water near electrical equipment.

3. 3

   Contain the water, move what you can, and take photos for insurance.

4. 4

   Call 636-978-0120 with where the break is, whether the water is off, and whether the space is occupied.

If a faucet only trickles in freezing weather, suspect a frozen pipe. Keep the faucet open and never thaw a pipe with an open flame (American Red Cross).

Where pipes freeze in commercial buildings

• Pipes along exterior walls and in ceiling spaces at the building edge
• Loading docks, vestibules and stairwells
• Mechanical rooms and vacant or turned-down tenant suites
• Wall hydrants and hose bibbs left with hoses connected

A pipe usually doesn't split where the ice is. IBHS explains that an ice blockage traps water against a closed valve or fixture, pressure builds, and the pipe bursts where there is little or no ice. That's why the leak often shows up away from the coldest spot.

How we repair it

1. 1

   Find it

   Locate the break, check for other frozen sections and safely thaw lines that are still blocked.

2. 2

   Repair

   Replace the damaged section of pipe and any failed valves or fittings.

3. 3

   Test and restore

   Restore water, check for leaks, and recommend insulation, heat or relocation where the pipe is exposed. The plumbing code (IPC 305.4) requires water pipes in exterior walls, attics, crawl spaces and other freezing locations to be protected by insulation, heat or both.

If a water service or site line breaks outside the building, Kuesel, our sister company under Kuesel Holding Company, works with us as one team on the excavation.

Keep it from happening again

• Keep the heat on. IBHS recommends at least 55°F in vacant spaces and a low-temperature alarm.
• Seal gaps where cold air reaches pipes, and insulate exposed lines.
• Shut off and drain exterior hose bibbs and lines before winter.
• Tag and exercise shutoff valves so staff can find them fast.
• Consider an automatic excess-flow or leak shutoff valve on the incoming domestic water line.

Get the full checklist in our winter freeze walk-through, or add freeze checks to preventive maintenance.

Sources: American Red Cross: Preventing & Thawing Frozen Pipes · IBHS Commercial Risk Engineering Bulletin: Winter Weather · IPC Section 305.4, Freezing

Local jurisdictions adopt the code with their own amendments.