A burst pipe is not an uncommon occurrence, especially during the winter months. When the water in pipes freezes, it expands, which can crack your pipes. When the water thaws, it can break out through the damaged pipe. Pipes and joints can also burst under normal water pressure as a result of age or poor workmanship.
When this happens, gallons of water will pour into your home or business. This can quickly lead to flooding in your home, and it requires quick action on your part to minimize water damage.
Shut Off Water
Shut off the water to the house as quickly as you can manage. Most houses will have a water cut-off valve somewhere inside. Use it to shut off the water immediately. This will limit the amount of standing water you have in your home.
The only reason not to follow this step is if you can’t safely reach the cutoff. If the water is so high that you would have to swim among floating furniture, don’t attempt it. If the water has reached electrical outlets, don’t enter it until you turn off the electricity in the affected areas.
Contact a Plumber or Water Damage Restoration Specialist
If you can’t reach the water cut-off valve or don’t know where it is, your first step must be to call in someone who can repair the pipe and/or deal with the water buildup.
A plumber is a good choice for shutting off the water and dealing with the burst pipe. If you detect the burst pipe relatively quickly, they are probably your best choice.
However, if you don’t detect the water leakage before there is a significant amount of standing water in your home, you might be better off contacting a water damage restoration specialist. That’s because a restoration company:
- Can fix the broken pipe
- Is prepared to work in standing water if necessary
- Can remove water from the flooded area
- Can repair water damage
A water damage restoration company is prepared to handle plumbing issues like a broken pipe. They also know how to locate your water cut-off valve, including one outside the house if you don’t have one inside. While some plumbers are prepared to work in standing water, not all are willing or able to do it. However, water damage restoration specialists are used to working in high levels of water.
Water damage restoration companies also have the equipment to remove water from your flooded area. They can pipe water out and even pull it from inside your walls and below flooring. Once the water is removed, they can repair damage to your walls, floor, and contents.
Turn Off Electricity
If the water reached the level of outlets in your home, you should shut off the electricity to the flooded areas. If you have electronics or other equipment plugged in that sit on the floor, you should shut off the electricity if you have any amount of standing water.
If you don’t know which circuits serve the flooded area or if your house is wired so that many circuits serve the flooded area, consider turning off the electricity to the entire house. It’s also faster to shut off the electricity to the entire house than it is to figure out which areas are affected, and it protects you from making a wrong guess.
Drain Faucets
Once you turn off the water at the cutoff, the water in the house’s pipes will start to flow backward, and much or all of it will drain out the burst pipe. You can reduce the amount of water that flows back by opening your faucets at or below the level of the burst pipe.
Any water that you can get to go down the drain helps minimize damage to your home or business.
Contact Your Insurance
Once you have done what you can to stop the flow of water and the immediate risk of electrocution or fire, it’s time to let your insurance company know about the burst pipe. Do this even if you’re not sure there’s enough damage to warrant a claim. It’s better to contact them and not ultimately make a claim than it is to try to make a claim when you didn’t report the water damage right away.
When to Get Professional Help for Water Damage
After contacting your insurance, you should consider whether you can handle the water damage yourself or if you need the help of a restoration professional. You should contact a water damage professional for help if:
- The pipe was leaking for some time before it burst
- There is any significant amount of standing water
- Water got behind the walls or ceiling
- Water was in place for more than 24 hours
In these cases, you need the assistance of a water damage restoration professional to ensure your home is restored to its previous condition and all structural and health risks related to water are resolved.
Contact Just Right Cleaning & Construction in the greater Seattle & Spokane Metro Area
When you have a burst pipe in the greater Seattle & Spokane Metro Area that results in significant water damage, the restoration specialists at JRCC Damage Restoration Experts are ready to help with 24/7 emergency response services. We can get out quickly and stop the progress of water damage. We are prepared to handle every step of the process after you have a burst pipe, from repairing the plumbing to removing the water to drying the space to repairing and replacing any damaged drywall or plaster.
JRCC Damage Restoration Experts has been the leading restoration company in the area since 1954. We work with insurance companies every day, and we can coordinate your claim process. This makes it easy for you, and we know what documentation your insurance company needs to properly consider your claim. You won’t have a claim delayed or denied because of poor documentation.
Call us immediately when you have a burst pipe or other source of flooding in your home. JRCC Damage Restoration Experts serves customers in the greater Seattle & Spokane Metro Area.