There are four steps to take when a pipe bursts in your home.
1. Shut The Water Off
First thing, turn off the water flow when you suspect a pipe has broken, even if you don’t know where the water’s coming from. You’ll find the stop tap on the water main. It is typically located under the kitchen sink or where the main service pipe connects to your house. Every family member should know the location of the water shut-off stopcock for emergencies. Once the main water switch is off, you’ll need to drain the pipes. To do this, run the cold water on all the faucets. Be sure to flush each toilet at least once. Shut off the hot water heater. Once the hot water system is off, go back to each faucet and run the hot water to drain that supply. When there is no more running tap water, the leak will stop.
2. Locate The Pipe
After draining all the excess water, locate the burst pipe. Inspect the damage and consider where the pipe is located before you run off to the home improvement store. Regardless of the damage or size of the break, a major water pipe will take more time and effort to replace because it holds more water and leads to additional connections, as opposed to a single pipe under the bathroom sink.
3. Repair The Pipe
Fixing a rupture or crack in non-main pipes is usually fairly straightforward, but it can become expensive depending on the mending material you choose. If you’re capable of fixing the pipe yourself, then the repair will be easy and cost effective. Otherwise, you’ll need to call a plumber in who can properly repair the pipe and maybe even offer solutions to not allowing the pipe to freeze again.
4. Water Restoration
If the water from the burst pipe is on the walls or ceilings as well as the floor, contact a professional water restoration company. Simply using fans and open windows to dry a soaked area is an invitation to mold, mildew, and even serious illness for your family. You will also want to shut off the electrical power to that area of the house as a precaution against shocks. Be careful of whom you hire, because franchises and inexperienced contractors can cause more damage, or try to max out insurance policies with doing very minimal work. A good water damage restoration company will be prompt, and return the home to pre-loss conditions in a cost effective manner.
