Just hearing the words “burst pipe” can send shivers down the spine of any homeowner and then throw in the threat of flooding from that burst pipe and it reaches nightmare status. Never fear, though, because we have the cure. These are the top ten tips on dealing with burst pipe flooding that will help you minimize the potential damage.
What Happens if Water Pipes Burst?
There is a wide array of possible consequences from a burst pipe. In the best case scenario you catch that something is going on and call your plumber before too much damage occurs. If you are calling us we will tell you exactly what to do to minimize any problems, but generally you will follow the tips listed in the next section. The worst case scenarios can involve damage to the home including damaged walls and flooring, ruined furnishings and belongings, potential mold issues, and just a major headache that nobody needs.
What Do You Do After a Pipe Bursts?
Your first step needs to be to stop the water flowing so that it can’t continue to add to any damage that has already happened, including preventing any further damage by releasing any water left in the system into sinks and tubs. After that, get a licensed professional plumber on the job to fix the problem for good so you can get the water back on and get the damage assessed and repaired. We’ll go over this in more detail next.
Tips On Dealing With Burst Pipe Flooding
Follow these steps to deal with burst pipe flooding.
- Turn off the main water valve. Simply put you want to stop all water flowing into the house so it doesn’t continue to flow through the burst pipe
- Turn on a faucet. You want the water that is in the pipes to drain into an acceptable place so hop over to your kitchen sink and turn the tap on. Don’t do this before shutting off the main, its only purpose is to empty the water that is still in the system.
- Cut off Electricity. Figure out if you should disconnect your breaker box or shut off electricity to that region of the home. This would be smart if the water damage is anywhere near outlets, wiring, or power sources, or just do it to be on the safe side (you can reconnect any time).
- Call your plumber. Hopefully, you have a wonderful high quality plumber, like us here at Phend, who you can immediately call, but if not, check google reviews or ask a long time resident neighbor for a good referral. Your plumber can help you with the next steps. You may or may not need to do all of the remaining steps.
- Consider a quick fix. If it’s going to be a while before the plumber can arrive, then do your best to find the pipe. If it is accessible, or if you are skilled at diy, you may want to try a short term repair, like using electrical tape, putty or a clip to tie it off.
- Photos for Insurance. Whether or not you decide to go through your insurance, you will want to document everything with photos. If you are going through insurance, contact them asap. It is a good idea to take lots and lots of photos from many angles. Some things will not be repaired (wall damage for example) until the insurance adjuster has given the go ahead.
- Dry out what you can. Start the process of airing out/ drying out whatever you can. If there are soaked area rugs, curtains, upholstered furniture, and so on, see if they can be dried and cleaned. Things like water-logged electronics and ruined furnishings may need to be tossed, you just want a record of them for your insurance first. Turn on fans to speed up drying.
- Assess the damage. If this was a small amount of water, cleanup may be easy, but since water damage carries risks, you will want quality remediation services to fix up anything significant.
- Warm Up Pipes. If this was a result of frozen pipes you can open up cabinets to make sure the home’s heat is reaching them. You can even use hair dryers on vulnerable spots where freezing is likely to keep the water flowing.
- Sanitize for safety. Disinfect and thoroughly clean everything that remains.
Schedule a call with us so we can help you make sure you never have to go through that again! We can help you with emergencies like a burst pipe, and with prevention, so please call us right away and get a free estimate 480-388-6093.