What to Do When a Pipe Bursts in Your Home

You’re sitting at home on a Tuesday evening and all of a sudden, a water pipe bursts. You think fast and call a plumber, but what now? Besides nursing the headache that came from this annoying situation, there are plenty of things you can do while you wait for a plumber to arrive that can reduce water damage and prevent future leaks from the pipes in your home. 

Here are some steps you can take when a water pipe bursts and before the plumber arrives. 

6 steps to handle a water pipe bursts

Turn off your water supply

First, go to your home’s main water valve and turn it off immediately, to prevent more water from coming out. You should also turn off the electricity in the part of your house where the water damage has occurred.  

Drain the pipes of cold water

Once the water is turned off, you’ll need to drain all the remaining water in your pipes. First, run cold water in all of your sink faucets and flush the toilets in your house at least once. This will drain the water and also relieve any pent up pressure in your pipes. 

Drain the hot water in your pipes

Next, switch off your hot water heater and then run hot water in all of your sink faucets to drain the water supply. Once there is no more water running from the tap, the leak will stop because the pipes are empty of excess water. 

Find the break in the pipes

It is important to locate the broken area in your pipes so that you can inspect the damage to see if it will be a quick fix or a major project. Identifying the area where the break is located will also make cleanup easier. 

Turn up the heat to thaw pipes 

Burst pipes often happen when the pipes have gotten too cold and have frozen, so, next, you should let some warm air into the area by turning your heat back on. Just make sure they don’t heat up too quickly.

Clean up the damage

Once the basics are taken care of, you’ll want to start mopping and cleaning up the mess in order to prevent mold and mildew from growing on the wet areas of your floor and walls. 

Having your pipes burst is a situation that no one wants to deal with. Hopefully, these tips will help alleviate some of your stress so you can get your home back to normal as soon as possible. Whatever you do, make sure your first step is to call Norfolk Plumbing at 757-466-0644 so we can send one of our qualified, experienced plumbers to come and help you out!

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