What to Do with a Burst Water Main (Before the Plumber Arrives)

Instantly you can become frazzled when suddenly you have a burst water main. Water is spraying everywhere and wreaking havoc to your property and propelling your panic. With a little knowledge and preparation ahead of time you can save yourself from panic mode, and handle your water main burst with confidence. 

Before we discuss the proper action plan for water main breaks, you should know what your number one priority is: CALL THE PLUMBER! Calling the plumber will be your first line of defense protecting you from extensive water main damage.

Now that professional help is on the way, you are ready to jump into your action plan to deal with your burst water main emergency. “Shut off water to the house” should be your first thought and plan of action. 

First, shut off the main water valve. Umm… what? Say, where is my main water shut off valve anyway? Yeah, that is good information to know ahead of time. Picture yourself in two different scenarios. 

1. You experience a burst water main emergency and now you are scrambling all over the place looking for the dang shut off valve while water is spraying all over the place. You check the basement, crawl spaces, and around the water heater. Is the main water shut off valve even inside the house? Maybe it’s under that metal lid thingy close to the street. By now you are frazzled!  
2. You experience a burst water main emergency, you have called the plumber and you have quickly shut off the water to the house because you already know where to find the main water shut off valve. With confidence, you have completed the first two (and most important) steps dealing with a burst water main. Pat yourself on the back – you are a competent homeowner! 

Now is a good time to find out where the main water shut off valve is before you experience a water main burst. That one bit of important information will be the difference between properly handling a burst water main with confidence or spinning out of control in agitation.  

The next step in water main repair is to drain all faucets. Most water main burst events happen in winter when water freezes and expands inside the pipes. When you remove the extra water from the plumbing system, you relieve extra pressure, especially if the water has a chance to freeze.  

Turn on the cold water faucets and drain the extra water from the pipes. Don’t forget the toilets. Think of toilets as cold water shut off valves that also need to be drained, and flush them several times.   

After tapping the cold water faucets, turn off the water heater and drain the hot taps. 

Allowing warm air to circulate cold or frozen pipes is helpful. You could turn up the thermostat, open up cupboard doors that house pipes, or direct a hairdryer on a pipe that is frozen.   

Phew, now that the water main repair emergency is contained, your natural inclination will be to fly into clean up mode; but stop for a moment and consider the damage your burst water main may have caused.  

For insurance purposes, you will want to document all the water damage to your house as well as your possessions. Take photos of everything! Your documentation will also be a historical record to give a plumber should you have future plumbing problems. 

Like knowing where your main water shut off valve is ahead of time makes a world of difference, so remembering to document water main damage will be extremely beneficial.  

Now, you can get the mop out and put all your items back in place.

Frozen pipes are the leading cause of burst water mains. The high cost to replace main water lines will motivate you to prevent frozen pipes. A few extra steps taken now will save time, headaches, and money later on. 

• Allow warm to reach pipes to keep them from freezing 
• When away from the house, make sure the temperature stays above freezing 
• Apply pipe sleeves or heat tape to exposed pipes insulating them from the cold. 
• Hire a professional plumber to check for pinhole leaks that can lead to frozen pipes. Locating and fixing pinhole leaks is tricky. Blue Mills Plumbing will find and repair the tiniest leaks quickly and effectively.

If you Experience a Burst Water Main, Call Blue Mills Plumbing Right Away!

Blue Mills Plumbing will quickly respond and take command of a burst water main emergency effectively. Our advice, prevention tips, and service are offered to serve you in the best way possible. We are experts in water main repair and offer affordable prices for our services.