Most homeowners think burst pipes only happen in cold climates. That's not quite right. Greenville sits in a humid subtropical climate zone, and while hard freezes aren't too frequent, the Upstate does see cold snaps that drop overnight temperatures well below freezing. Pipes in unheated crawl spaces, along exterior walls, and in garage utility rooms take the hit. Water expands roughly 9% as it freezes, and that expansion pushes against the pipe wall until something gives.
Greenville's clay-heavy soil responds significantly to changes in moisture, especially during heavy rain and summer droughts. That soil movement creates stress on buried water lines and sewer pipes, causing joints to separate or pipes to crack over time. Older homes are also prone to galvanized steel supply lines that corrode from the inside and to tree root intrusion, which can compress and crack supply lines and sewer laterals.
High water pressure is another factor that's easy to overlook. A pressure-reducing valve that's worn out or set too high puts constant mechanical stress on every fitting, joint, and pipe section. Pipes rated for normal pressure fail at high-stress points when the regulator is out of spec. Our plumbers check the pressure during every burst-pipe assessment.