Immediate Steps to Take After a Pipe Bursts in Your Home

A 1/8 inch crack in a pipe can leak 250 gallons of water in a single day. It’s hard to believe that such a small crack can cause so much damage.

With nearly 14,000 people in the U.S. experiencing a water damage emergency daily, water pipe bursts aren’t rare.

Do you know what to do during this type of emergency? Here are the steps you should take to recover from a burst pipe in your home.

Shut Your Water Off

You need to stop more water from damaging your home, so the first step is to turn off your water supply. If the burst occurred near any electrical components, make sure the electricity is turned off too.

Locate the main water valve either in the basement, crawl space, near the water heater, under the kitchen sink, or the outside perimeter of the house.

Drain the Faucets

You’ll need to drain all remaining water from the pipes. Run cold water on all faucets, flush each toilet, and turn off the hot water heater. Once the hot water is off, run hot water on all of the faucets.

Once the pressure in the pipe system has been relieved and all water drained, the leaking from the burst pipe stops.

Locate and Document Damage

Now it’s time to find the location of the burst and find the damage. Signs of a burst pipe include:

• Puddle under the sink
• Peeling or bubbling paint
• Staining
• Warping
• Buckled ceilings and floors

Take photos and keep notes of all the damage you find. You want as much evidence as possible when you contact your homeowner’s insurance company. Depending on your policy and the scenario, your insurance company is required to compensate you for the damages from the burst pipe.

A claims adjuster will visit the home to document the damage, the cause, and then work on your claim. The average residential claim from a burst pipe is $10,000. Having your documentation prepared before the claims adjusted visits to help prove the cause of damage and to receive full coverage.

Start Cleaning

If you’re in a warm climate and the weather is nice, open windows, get out the dehumidifier, and use fans to create circulation.

Remove wet furniture and other personal items and place them in a dry area. Get out the mops, buckets, and towels to collect any standing water. Use a shop vac to extract the remaining water. When there’s water damage, you want to dry everything as quickly as possible to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

Once water is removed, collect pieces of debris and disinfect the area to kill any harmful bacteria.

Signs of Water Pipe Bursts? Call the Professionals

Water pipe bursts are no joke. It’s a frustrating and stressful situation that nobody should face alone.

Barakat Restoration is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to handle your emergency water, fire, mold, and storm emergencies in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, and surrounding areas. Contact us today for a free inspection and estimate.