What to do about a burst pipe

If you’ve come home to a large pool of water in your living room,  a wet bulge in your ceiling, or water streaming across your backyard, the chances are that you’ve got a burst pipe!

Burst pipes can lose a tremendous amount of water in a short time, flooding your property with up to 400 litres per hour.

So don’t delay! Call one of our emergency plumbers immediately, because whatever your pipe bursting costs today, it’ll be double tomorrow!

We’ll arrive as soon as humanly possible to fix your burst pipe fast.

And, in the meantime, you can protect your house and loved ones by following these six simple steps while you wait for a plumber to handle your burst pipe repair.

 

1. Ensure your home is safe

A burst pipe can create many hidden dangers, and the first thing you need to do is make sure everyone is safe. Hazards to check for include:

Electrical appliances or fittings in contact with water: Water and electricity are a deadly combination. If you can see them touching, turn off your electricity at the mains. If, however, water has made contact with the main switchboard, do not touch it. Wait outside for your plumber.

Bulging ceiling: Pockets of water caused by a roof leak may cave in at any moment. Don’t stand under them!

Kids and pets in harm’s way: Keep little ones and fur babies far from the affected area until your emergency plumber has come and gone.

Once you’ve ensured everyone is safe from your burst pipe, how to turn off water supplies is the next thing you need to know.

 

2. Shut off the water

Locate your water meter. It will usually be underneath the kitchen sink, attached to an exterior wall, or inside an underground box outside. If no appliances are in use and the taps are off, but your meter is still running, this indicates you have a burst water pipe.

For older, round valves, turn the handle clockwise several times until the water is off. If your home is fitted with a quarter-turn ball valve, all you need to do is switch it from “on” to “off”.

 

3. Call an Emergency Plumber

Don’t worry if your pipe bursts on the weekend or outside of regular business hours – that’s what we’re here for!

The most important thing is that a fully-qualified, licenced plumber attends your premises ASAP. Leaks can do significant damage to your home, causing structural instability, destroying belongings, creating future mould issues, and even jeopardising your electrical system.

If you wait too long after your pipe bursting, cost of repair will be significantly increased!

Fortunately, one of our experienced plumbers is just around the corner, ready to diagnose and rectify all the problems with your plumbing.

 

4. Empty the pipes

After you’ve shut off the main water valve and called the plumber, empty the pipes of any remaining water:

1. Turn off your hot water system
2. Go through the house and turn on the cold taps
3. Flush all the toilets
4. Turn on the hot water taps

With cleared pipes, your plumber can start inspecting and rectifying your burst pipe emergency straight away, meaning a quicker fix and a smaller bill.

 

5. Start cleaning up

If you’re confident there are no hazards, go ahead and get out the mop, bucket and all the old towels you can find. The faster you clean up, the fewer water damage problems you’ll encounter later on.

 

6. Contact your insurer

Many of our customers ask how they go about getting burst pipes covered by insurance. While we can’t give you information about your specific policy, there are a few things you can do to make processing your claim much easier:

• Let your insurer know about the incident as soon as possible
• Take photographs of the damage to your home and property
• Write a list of all the items that need repair or replacement

Also: When you contact your insurer, don’t forget to ask whether your policy covers other services you might need, such as water leak detection.

Are you wondering why pipes burst?

Many factors can cause a burst pipe in your home or business.

Corrosion, sand, or acid in or around the pipes can create weak spots that cannot handle water pressure. This is especially true of the galvanised steel pipes that many properties built before 1970 still have.

Or, invasive tree roots that seek out water can wrap tightly around your pipes, causing cracks and breaks.

And, even if you do everything right, nearby construction can move around soil weight, putting too much external pressure on your plumbing and destroying your pipes.

 

Call SJK Now For Fast Burst Pipe Repair!

No matter why you have burst pipes, what to do next is simple: Follow the steps above and call us to get an emergency plumber on the scene as fast as possible!

With SJK, your burst pipe emergency will be downgraded to situation normal before you know it.