Plumbing Guide
A pipe has burst. What to do first
By All Purpose Anytime Services LLC
Water is coming through a ceiling or running down a wall. What you do before anybody arrives makes more difference to the final bill than anything a plumber does afterwards.
Shut the water off
Find the main shutoff and close it. In most homes here it is where the supply enters, often in a basement, a crawl space or a utility closet.
If you do not know where it is, find it today, before the next pipe fails.
Drain the system down
Open a low tap once the main is closed. That takes the pressure off and lets the water in the pipes run out somewhere you choose.
Stay out from under a sagging ceiling
A ceiling holding water comes down all at once and it is heavier than it looks. Move what you can from underneath and keep people out of the room.
Do not put a bucket under it and go to bed.
What comes next
The pipe repair and the building repair are separate jobs. The pipe gets fixed and pressure tested. The wet drywall, insulation and flooring are a restoration job, and closing them up before the cavity is dry is how a repair becomes a mold problem.
Stopping the next one
- Insulate pipe in exterior walls, attics and crawl spaces
- Disconnect and drain outside taps before the first freeze
- Leave the heat on at a low setting when a property is empty
- Label the main shutoff so anyone in the house can find it
Urgent questions, answered straight
Which plumbing problems can't wait?
Water you can't stop, sewage coming up into the house, or a gas smell near a water heater. Each needs action now, and the first action is yours. Close the main, stop using the drains, or leave and call the gas utility. We don't run an overnight or on-call service. Burst pipes, sewage backups and dead water heaters get a visit inside 48 hours, during our 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM hours, before routine work. A drip from a faucet or a sink that drains slowly can wait for a normal visit.
What do I do first when water is flooding my basement?
Keep out of the water if it is near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel, and only cut the power if you can reach the panel from a dry spot. Then find the source. A burst pipe means closing the main. Water coming up the floor drain means stopping all water use upstairs. Water coming through the walls in a storm is groundwater, and the sump pump is the first thing to check.
A pipe burst in my older home, should I repair it or look at repiping now?
Repair the burst now and decide on repiping afterwards. Once the main is closed, the split section is cut out and replaced so the house has water again. While the wall is open, we look at the pipe on either side. If it is thin, corroded or on its third failure, you get a repipe price next to the repair, and you can decide without water on the floor.
Water off and pipe still split?
Once the main is closed, call or send the form with where the split is. A burst pipe is urgent plumbing and is scheduled within 48 hours.