Here's What You Need to Do When a Pipe in Your Home Bursts

There are many reasons a pipe could burst in your home. Freezing due to cold weather, build-up of water pressure inside the pipe and weakened or rusty pipes are some of the common causes. Burst pipes are a plumbing emergency you have to handle carefully because, besides wasting a lot of water, you can end up with immense water damages and costly repairs to make. For such reasons, knowing what steps to take when a water pipe bursts in your home is always crucial. There are some obvious things such as moving your valuable items to safety or switching off electricity to prevent any shocks when you walk in your water-filled home. However, doing these three things when you have a burst water pipe in your home is usually critical.  

Turn Off Your Water Supply

When a pipe in your home bursts, you need to find a way to not only stop the water from flowing into your house but also to prevent any more water coming into your plumbing pipes. To do this, you have to shut off your water supply at the main valve. Unfortunately, many homeowners are often unaware of the location of this valve. Usually, you will find the main valve or stop cock under your kitchen sink. If you do not find it here, look at the connection of the main service pipes to your house.

Drain Your System

If shutting off your water supply at the mains doesn't stop the flow of water, you have to ensure that as much water as possible is out of the system. To do this, you can start by flushing your toilets repeatedly and turning on all your cold water taps. If you have a central heating system, turn it off and close your boiler down. You should then turn on all your hot water taps to drain the system even further.

Locate The Break

When there's no more water running from your open taps, try to find the break. Doing this will give you an idea of what you should do next based on the size of the burst and the exact pipe that burst. If it is only a small crack, patching it up on your own could help solve the issue for some time until you can have your plumber fix it. However, if the burst occurred on your main pipe, you have to leave that to a professional even if it's only a tiny crack.

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