How To Handle A Burst Pipe Situation

It is essential to know what to do if a pipe bursts. It can happen suddenly without a warning! 

It is always better to know how to fix certain appliances and other utilities in your house than to call for professional help. To begin with, it always comes in handy to know how to work your way around kitchen fittings.

First, it reduces your expenditure. Secondly, you never really know when an accident can take place, and at what hour. You might not get any kind of professional help at those hours. Don't you think it’s better to know how it works than to suffer in the absence of professional services? 

You could be at work or on a vacation when it happens. Understanding how to fix pipes and prevent them from bursting is useful. Remember, you might not get any plumbers when you need them to come and fix the issue. 

No matter what, you need to act quickly when you face such situations. It’s better to act fast to avoid any kind of huge mess and damage to your plumbing system. 

For starters, turn off the main system before you move on with something else. This gives you more time to fix the mess, and you don’t lose too much water. 

Burst pipes are one of the worst emergencies a house owner can face. It leaks and floods your house, damaging walls and furniture. The financial aspect of it is huge as well. It costs quite a lot and a lot of water is wasted.

What Causes A Pipe To Burst? 

There are numerous causes why a pipe might burst, but here are some common reasons why it might happen. It definitely doesn't go bad overnight; it’s a slow process, which means you have the chance to take precautions to keep your pipes safe. 

1. Frozen Pipes

This is one of the biggest crises a plumbing system and pipes can face. During extremely cold days, the pipes tend to get frozen. Usually, when the temperature is under 32 degrees, the pipes get frozen. It is hard to get in contact with a 24-hour emergency plumber in situations like these. 

The bonds in the pipe’s material tend to weaken and break when the temperature drops. Hence, it is essential to keep your house warm in the long cold winter months to avoid breaking pipes.

2. Corrosion

Corrosion usually takes place when the pH in water is unbalanced. Rust can also be one of the reasons behind corrosion. Both rust and water pH levels can prove to be disastrous for the pipes. 

However, both are slow processes, which gives you a lot of time to take precautions for our pipes and keep them good. Rusting usually occurs due to a high level of iron in the water, so make sure to monitor the iron content percentage of your water.

3. Clogging of Pipes

If there’s a clog deep inside a pipe, it’s most likely to eventually face an accident. If the clog is near the drain, the possibility of the pipe burst is lower. However, if it’s deep inside, it’ll most likely burst due to extreme water pressure.

4. Movement

If there’s a shift in the pipe due to it contracting during extreme winter and a drop in temperature, there is a chance that the pipe will burst. 

Other than that, if the water pressure is high and the pipe can take the pressure of water, it causes the pipe to move, which results in bursting. Sometimes the shift can occur as well during plumbing. 

Signs That Indicate A Burst Pipe

Other than having huge water puddles all over your house, other signs that indicate a burst pipe are:

1. Water Puddles

When there's a leak, there will be small amounts of water, but in case of a burst, every time you turn on the tap, there will be huge puddles. This is how you can gauge the urgency of the situation. 

Sometimes due to burst pipes, water moves through walls, which can cause huge damage to your house, and you might end up spending quite a lot to fix it. 

2. Stained Walls 

You might start noticing wall stains. They get bigger and spread. This is a huge sign of a possible pipe burst. These stains can also be seen on ceilings. 

3. Water Pressure Issues

If you experience very low water pressure when you turn on the taps, this might be one of the signs of a burst pipe. As burst pipes cause leaks, the water leaks away, and the pressure of water flow decreases. 

4. Discoloured Water 

Even though discoloured water can indicate other issues, it also indicates a burst pipe. It is probably a burst pipe situation if the water is a bit reddish. Reddish water indicates a high concentration of iron, which leads to rusting and eventually causing pipes to burst. 

5. Bad Odor in Water

If your water has a distinct metal-like smell, it is caused by an extremely high iron level in it, which means there is or will be a possible rusting in the pipes, causing bursting. 

6. High Water Bills

If you get an unexpected and unusual increase in your water bills, check your pipes! It might be because a leak or burst is causing additional water usage. 

What To Do About Burst Pipes And Necessary Precautions?

There are several steps you can follow to fix a broken pipe or to avoid a possible burst in the future. 

1. Turn off the water supply

It is rather wise to act fast in such situations. First things first: You’ve got to turn off the main water supply. This is to avoid extra water loss, resulting in huge water puddles and water bills, along with an exorbitant maintenance bill. 

 

2. Clean the water as soon as possible

Mop off and dry your place as soon as the water is spilled to avoid further damage to walls and furniture. You don't want to spend more on these. Cleaning them as soon as possible can help you avoid unwanted moulds. 

3. You have to let warm air in

It is critical to let warm air in to prevent frozen pipes from breaking any further. If you warm your pipes, the chances of the pipes bursting decrease. If there is no way to warm your house and the pipes, use a hairdryer to warm the pipes. 

4. Drain the water off the taps

Drain the faucets to avoid any further damage to the pipes. The water removal takes the pressure off the pipes. Flush the toilet a lot of times to ensure there’s no water left. Start with cold water, and then use hot water to continue with this process of draining your tap.  

5. Keep your doors and windows open

Keep your doors and windows open to let air in. This will help the air pass through and dry your house. Pipes need more air to dry. You need those pipes to dry fast, and to make that happen,  you’d need warm air to pass through those pipes. 

6. Materials to fix a burst pipe 

Clamp, rubber, and wood pieces can be used to fix a burst pipe. However, this is a shortcut to fixing the pipes. 

You need to wrap a piece of rubber around the area of a burst and cover it with a wood piece with the support of a clamp. However, this won’t hold in the burst for too long, so you need a solid solution, or there will be greater damage. 

Call A Plumber If It Is Too Much For You To Handle

Don’t stress too much over a burst pipe situation. If you think it is something you can't do by yourself, you can always call a trusted plumbing company. Even if it costs you quite a lot, they’ll do a great job ensuring your pipes don’t burst anytime soon. 

It is always best to call the plumber as soon as possible if you think it is something you can't do by yourself. Less damage will also result in lower maintenance bills. 

Moreover, the earlier you call them, there will be minimal to no damage to your house and furniture, and there will be less water wastage due to burst pipes. In the end, you’ll be in a win-win situation as it’ll cost you way less than it usually does. 

Sometimes, it doesn’t even need fixing; just some precautions can do their own magic. In that case, there will be no trouble with water mopping, buying and installing new pipes, and paying huge bills for both water and the plumbing agency. 

An annual check-up of the pipes can be more helpful than you can imagine.