# Frozen-Pipe Claims Now Top $30,000. Here's Why Puget Sound Pipes Burst Where There's No Ice - Published: 2026-11-08 - Author: [Insurance News](https://insurancenews.io/author/insurancenews-io.md) - Topics: [News](https://insurancenews.io/news.md) - Source: https://insurancenews.io/news/frozen-pipe-claims-now-top-30-000-heres-why-puget-sound-pipes-burst-where-theres-no-ice/ - Publication: Insurance News - Publisher: Connectively (Terkel, Inc.) - Editorial policy: https://insurancenews.io/editorial-policy/ [![Homeowner checking frost-covered pipes in a cold basement under the headline It's not the ice that bursts your pipe](https://www.einpresswire.com/image/medium/1244391/it-s-not-the-ice-that-bursts-yo.jpeg)](https://www.einpresswire.com/image/large/1244391/it-s-not-the-ice-that-bursts-yo.jpeg#1200x630) It's not the ice that bursts a frozen pipe. It's the water pressure trapped behind it. [![Homeowner closing the main water valve in a garage as water drips from the ceiling](https://www.einpresswire.com/image/medium/1244392/shut-off-the-main-water-valve.jpeg)](https://www.einpresswire.com/image/large/1244392/shut-off-the-main-water-valve.jpeg#3840x2160) The fastest way to stop a burst pipe: close the main water valve. [![Thermal camera view of a wall with a cold purple patch where water has soaked the drywall](https://www.einpresswire.com/image/medium/1244393/thermal-view-of-a-wet-wall.jpeg)](https://www.einpresswire.com/image/large/1244393/thermal-view-of-a-wet-wall.jpeg#3840x2160) A thermal camera shows water spreading inside drywall after a leak. *A free HelpMeNow.com video explains the hidden pressure that splits frozen pipes far from the ice, and five cheap fixes to make before the first hard freeze.* **The pipe repair is usually the cheap part. What costs money is the water that keeps running while someone searches for the shut-off valve.”** — The HelpMeNow.com team BELLEVUE, WA, UNITED STATES, November 8, 2026 /[EINPresswire.com](https://www.einpresswire.com/)/ -- BELLEVUE, Wash. — The pipe most likely to flood a Puget Sound home this winter will not split where the ice is. It will split in a section with almost no ice in it, often inside a heated wall, and by the time anyone notices, the water may have been running for hours. That counterintuitive fact is the heart of a new [free video explainer](https://youtu.be/w3mp1HtMtfU) from HelpMeNow.com, released as the region heads into the season of sudden cold snaps. A frost advisory already covered areas north of Seattle on Halloween morning, according to the National Weather Service. The stakes keep climbing. From January 2024 through June 2025, State Farm received more than 20,000 claims for frozen pipes and winter water damage and paid more than $628 million. The average claim payment topped $30,000, and Washington was one of the five states with the highest total claim costs. Fixing the broken pipe itself is often a few hundred dollars. The rest is water. WHY IT'S NOT THE ICE Research at the University of Illinois Building Research Council showed that ice does not crack a pipe by pushing on its walls. Once ice blocks a line, more freezing pushes the remaining water toward a closed faucet. With nowhere to go, the pressure in that trapped section can climb from a normal 40 to 80 pounds per square inch to about 4,000, and the pipe gives way at its weakest point. WHY PUGET SOUND HOMES ARE EXPOSED Mild winters mean many homes here run water lines through vented crawlspaces, garages, attics and exterior walls. The same research found that uninsulated pipes in unheated spaces start to freeze when the outdoor temperature drops to about 20 degrees, so a single cold snap can be enough. A garden hose left on an outdoor faucet traps water that can freeze back into the wall. FIVE FIXES BEFORE THE FIRST HARD FREEZE 1\. Disconnect every hose and cap outdoor faucets with an insulated cover. 2\. Wrap exposed crawlspace and garage pipes in foam sleeves, especially at bends and joints. 3\. Close or cover crawlspace vents during a hard freeze, and reopen them when it warms so moisture can escape. 4\. On the coldest nights, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls. 5\. Let a faucet drip. The trickle relieves exactly the pressure that bursts pipes. THE FIRST 10 MINUTES A crack just one-eighth of an inch wide can release up to 250 gallons of water a day, according to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. If a pipe bursts, the video's checklist is short: shut off the main water, cut power to any wet area near outlets or the electrical panel if it is safe to reach, move valuables, photograph everything for the insurance company, and start professional water extraction. The EPA advises drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours to keep mold from growing. "The pipe repair is usually the cheap part," the HelpMeNow.com team said. "What costs money is the water that keeps running while someone searches for the shut-off valve. Find yours this weekend." HelpMeNow.com connects homeowners in King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap counties with an experienced local [water damage restoration professional](https://www.helpmenow.com/washington/king-county/bellevue) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, often at the door in 30 minutes or less\*, with a free, no-obligation estimate. Its pros work directly with insurance companies and document everything an adjuster needs. Watch the free video at [https://youtu.be/w3mp1HtMtfU](https://youtu.be/w3mp1HtMtfU) and get help at [https://www.helpmenow.com/washington/king-county/bellevue](https://www.helpmenow.com/washington/king-county/bellevue) or call (425) 279-7097. \*Arrival times vary with traffic, weather and ferry schedules. Sources: State Farm frozen-pipe and winter water damage claims data (2024 through June 2025); University of Illinois Building Research Council; Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; National Weather Service frost advisory reported by FOX 13 Seattle (Oct. 31, 2026). About HelpMeNow.com HelpMeNow.com is a home-services marketplace that connects homeowners with experienced local professionals for water, fire and mold restoration and hundreds of other home services. In the Puget Sound region, its restoration pros answer around the clock, every day of the year. Georgiy Kharchenko Help Me Now Inc +1 425-842-3483 Visit us on social media: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/142894592/) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/helpmenowdotcom) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@HelpMeNowcom) Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. 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