Hard freezes can damage exposed pipes long after the weather turns warm.
Fort Worth is warm for much of the year, but occasional hard freezes still reach pipes in unconditioned garages, attics, exterior walls, and other exposed spaces. Water freezes and expands inside the line, which can split the pipe wall or strain a fitting until it starts to leak.
A visible split after a freeze is not always the only part affected. We look at nearby accessible piping and the insulation around it, because another section or connection may have been weakened in the same cold spell. Closing insulation gaps helps protect exposed pipe from the next hard freeze.
Not every exposed-pipe leak comes from cold weather. When age, corrosion, or material deterioration has caused the failure, the condition of accessible pipe beside the repair may also deserve a closer look before deciding how much to replace.