Downtown Prosper burst pipe water damage

A commercial building is often empty at night and on weekends, sometimes with the heat set low to reduce energy use. A freeze during that time can go unnoticed for a day or two. Older structures around the historic core ^[2] may also have supply lines added over many years, running through places a modern plan would avoid: an uninsulated back wall, under a wooden floor or across a storeroom ceiling. We have not surveyed these buildings, so check yours. Burst pipe damage in a commercial setting also tends to involve more parties.

Fire sprinkler lines that freeze can discharge a large volume of dirty water when they thaw. Do not shut a system off unless you know there is no fire and you have authority to do so; follow your building's procedure and contact the fire department and alarm company as needed. Afterward, a qualified contractor must restore the system. Tell the restoration contractor the water came from a sprinkler line, because that stale water stains and smells, and the cleanup differs from fresh water. Protecting that stretch of line should then be discussed with a fire protection contractor.

Older buildings may contain galvanized steel, which corrodes from the inside, alongside newer copper or plastic. Where different materials meet, connections may be a weak spot, and freezing may break what corrosion has already thinned. If a plumber opens a wall, ask them to look at what is on either side of the break. If the line looks fragile, spot repairs may be followed by more leaks nearby. Ask for an opinion about the next ten feet as well as the failed one. Before cutting into older finishes, ask about lead and asbestos.

When a hard freeze is forecast, a little planning helps a great deal. Agree who will check the building, and when. Leave heating at a safe setting rather than turning it low, particularly in back rooms. Open doors between heated and unheated spaces. Consider closing the main before leaving, if there is no fire sprinkler system depending on it, and if your staff know how to restore it. Put a contact sheet in the window or with the alarm company. If you have a tenant upstairs, make sure they know the plan too.

If your building is on piers, lines may run through open air under the floor. Wind through vents can chill them much faster than a line inside a wall. Check for insulation, and make sure vent openings are not letting a direct draft blow onto pipe. A leak here tends to pool on the ground below, and it may only show up as a smell or high humidity upstairs. After any freeze, look under the floor with a flashlight from the hatch. Do not go under if there is water near any electrical equipment.

Leases normally say who maintains which part of the building, and they may also set expectations for keeping heat on. Read yours before a claim rather than after. If a break in one unit damaged another, tell both insurers. Keep everything factual and dated. The Texas Department of Insurance's guidance applies mainly to home and renter policies ^[4], so ask your commercial agent how a freeze is treated, and whether there are conditions about maintaining heat in the building.

You may be able to reopen once the water is off, the area is safe and the wet zone is separated. Restroom access can be a sticking point if water must stay off, so ask the plumber whether part of the system can be restored. Food businesses should check with their local health authority before reopening after any water interruption. Keep records of lost trading hours. And when the plumber restores pressure, have someone walk the whole building, because a second break may be waiting. See the downtown page for more about older building concerns.

A suite between tenants is easy to forget. Agree who keeps its heat on and who checks it during cold weather.