We're bidding on a foreclosed 100 year old house. The water has been turned off for a while and here in Indiana it's been collllddd! Copper pipes have been vandalized from the basement and I've gone through the house opening all the upper floor valves I could find. I have several specific concerns about expenses to repair if we do get the house...
Will galvanized pipes split or leak if frozen? If there is no water held under pressure does the frozen water in the trap have room to expand lengthwise
Will traps, either chrome? Or PVC typically split?
Will the porcelain toilet tanks or bowls/traps make it?
How about water heaters?

Thanks,
Jack

Freezing water can crack almost everything. Toilets will shatter, copper will split, galvanized will break. PVC , PEX and CPVC are a bit more forgiving but they can burst too. Was the heat off completely, did the home temp drop to below freezing inside? Frozen pipes do not leak, thawed pipes will leak.

Will galvanized pipes split or leak if frozen?
When water freezes it can split rocks. I've replaced burst Galvanized back in Wisconsin.
Before I address all your concerns let me explain how we winterize a house in freezing weather and you can make up your own mind.
I would recommend draining the water heater and blowing out the water lines, filling all the traps with motor oil or anti-freeze Drain thr toilet tank and pouring a gallonor so of anti-freeze into each toilet until it flushed away the water and retained the anti-freeze in the trap.
If this is not done then every fixture listed above is in danger of damage from freezing. Whoever owns the house should have winterized the house before it went on the market.
To add more problems you have copper pipes that's been vandalized.
My advice? Hire a sharp home inspector and check the place out before signing anything.
Good luck, tom

That and then hire a sharp plumber who knows PEX

Thanks, guys. It's a bit of a strange situation. I have access to the house but it's not in my possession. The bank who owns the property is in southern Cali, so I doubt they have much appreciation for midwest winters. Their idea of winterizing was to turn the water off. The vandals removed the one inch supply from the basement meter which may have done a favor in providing an open to atmosphere drain in the basement... when I snuck in the house the other day just before it got really cold I opened all the valves above, so hopefully salvaged some of the pipes.

When I was able to get in the next time, there was frozen water in the house. The toilets were slushy... I dumped a bunch of windshield washer and am hoping for the best. Our offer for the house is decreasing by the day!

Thanks,

Our offer for the house is decreasing by the day!
As it should! Good luck, Tom