What to Do If a Water Pipe Breaks

7/13/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/ Brea is your trusted ally when you have a water damage restoration problem in your home or business!

Even if you take preventative measures, pipes still break. Reacting quickly can save your home or business from the financial burden of immense water damage. By acting fast, you can help mitigate the damage. In some cases, the burst pipe will not always be apparent right away. Be on the lookout for leaks coming from ceilings and walls, strange noises in the system, and electrical disturbances.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to do when pipes burst.

broken-pipe-checklist

Turn Off Main Water Valve

Similar to when you experience a frozen pipe, if you experience a burst pipe, the first step is to immediately shut off the water supply to your home. This will drastically reduce the amount of water in the system and prevent the deluge from continuing.

Avoid Light Switches and Electrical Devices

Water leaking into electrical devices, light switches, and electrical circuits can be deadly. If you observe or suspect a pipe has burst, immediately shut down the electrical main, or the electricity in the vicinity of the burst pipe. Do not use electrical equipment, light switches and other electrical fuse boxes near the burst pipe.

Collect the Water

Depending on where the pipe is located, you need to collect the water in whatever you have available. Utilize buckets and tubs to catch any water leaking from a ceiling or from exposed pipes. This will help prevent excess flooding damage to your home. In addition, the faster you clean up the water that has resulted from the burst pipe, the more damage you can prevent from occurring.

Turn on the Cold Faucets and Flush the Toilets

In order to drain your system, you'll need to get as much of the water out as possible. It is imperative to turn on all cold water faucets and flush all of the toilets in the home to reduce the amount of water flowing from the broken pipe.

Turn Off the Heating System and Drain the Hot Water Faucets

As you begin to drain your system, shutting off the central heating and turning on the hot water faucets will help further reduce the amount of water in your pipes.

Save Your Possessions

To prevent your valuables from incurring more damage, remove them from the impacted area and salvage whatever you can. Insurance may be able to replace certain items in your home, but personal belongings and heirlooms can be irreplaceable. Safeguard these items as soon as possible.

Document All Damages

After the initial problem is contained, begin to document the damages through photographs and personal notes that will help you when you file an insurance claim.

Contact Your Insurance Agent

Insurance companies offer emergency assistance, and contacting them as soon as possible will help you get started with the claim process. In addition, they can advise you on how to handle the situation and what steps are needed to proceed in order to get the emergency burst pipe repair services conducted.

SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/ Brea hopes you don’t encounter a broken water pipe and water damage in your home or business any time soon.  However, if you should, you’ll want a professional, certified, trusted and respected restoration company by your side.  We’re #1 in California and have been helping customers for over 11 years.  Our entire team is dedicated to making you  feel "Like it never even happened.”