Fire Hydrant Burst and Washing Machine Water Backflow... Citizens Troubled by Consecutive Frozen Pipe Damages

Most of the Country Under Cold Wave Warning... Over 7,500 Frozen Pipe Damages Nationwide
Frozen Drains Cause Washing Machine Water Backflow... Neighbor Distrust
Preventing Damage with Frozen Pipe Prevention Methods

On the 7th, when Seoul City issued a 'severe' level warning for frozen water meters, frozen water meters were piled up at the Hyoja Pressure Pumping Station of the Jungbu Waterworks Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Recently, as the Arctic cold wave continues, incidents of frozen pipes have been occurring nationwide. In some apartments, indoor fire hydrants burst, causing residents to experience inconvenience for a while, and there have been cases where residents used washing machines without realizing the water pipes had frozen, resulting in damage to the downstairs units. In particular, despite requests to refrain from using washing machines, uncooperative residents have led to distrust among neighbors.

Damage caused by the cold wave has been reported across the country. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 11th, from the 6th until 6 a.m. on that day, a total of 7,521 cases of frozen pipe damage were reported nationwide, including 7,207 water meter cases and 314 water pipe cases. Of the total 8,241 frozen pipe damage reports this winter, 91% were due to this cold wave. Fire authorities rescued 38 people and carried out 1,458 public support operations such as frozen pipe repairs and safety measures for signboards.

According to the fire authorities, at around 12:50 p.m. the previous day, a valve of an indoor fire hydrant in a 23-story apartment in Dapsimni-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, cracked due to the cold wave. When the valve burst, water from the fire hydrant flowed through the corridors, stairs, and elevators, spreading throughout the apartment and freezing, causing great inconvenience to residents.

After receiving the report, the fire authorities arrived at the scene, shut off the valve, and stopped the leakage. They then restored the situation over about an hour by spreading calcium chloride on all floors of the apartment.

In online communities such as mom cafes, posts are being shared complaining about water pipe damage caused by the use of washing machines in the upstairs units. Photo by Naver screen capture.

In addition, due to the severe cold wave, various accidents have continued during washing machine use. Numerous posts complaining of damage have been appearing on various online communities and mom cafes. One member said, "I live on a low floor of an apartment, and the washing machine use from the upper floor flooded the veranda," adding, "It was already cold, and it was hard to pump out the water."

This issue also leads to conflicts among neighbors. Another member said, "There are announcements morning and evening asking residents to refrain from using washing machines, but some still use them," and added, "Recently, I even saw a fight where the downstairs unit was flooded due to the upstairs washing machine, and neighbors shouted at each other."

They continued, "It's not just one person living alone; dozens of households live here, so isn't it too selfish? Since we can't identify which household is using the washing machine, even when meeting neighbors in the elevator, people act hostilely," they lamented.

Some point out that neighborly consideration is necessary to prevent damage caused by frozen pipes. When the cold wave continues, households have various alternatives such as hand washing clothes or using nearby laundromats instead of using washing machines. Also, most frozen pipe problems can be resolved by following simple preventive measures.

Local governments and related organizations have urged that water meters, water pipes, and boiler piping be insulated with old clothes or other insulating materials and sealed with tape on the outside to prevent freezing damage. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has issued a 'Frozen Pipe Warning' for water meters and urged households to check the insulation inside the water meter boxes.

The city emphasized, "Households should recheck the insulation status of the meter boxes and, when not using water at night, during outings, or travel, keep faucets slightly open to prevent freezing. Active interest and participation in frozen pipe prevention are necessary."

Accordingly, △ to prevent frozen pipes, it is recommended to leave faucets slightly open at night or when going out, and △ water meters and boiler pipes should be wrapped with insulation materials to block cold air from entering.

If water pipes and water meters freeze, water supply itself may be cut off. In such cases, residents should call the local city/county/district waterworks office, management office, or boiler specialist for assistance.

Additionally, according to the Waterworks Headquarters, hot water should not be poured to thaw frozen water meters. The Waterworks Headquarters advised, "(Hot water) can rather cause the water pipes to burst, so it is better to wrap the pipes with a towel soaked in warm water."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.