What To Do If You Have a Burst Pipe?
What happens if your pipes suddenly burst and start to leak? What happens if your building premises are overflowing with water and damaging every part of your house or a commercial property? Usually, the basements are affected as the pipes and drainage system are situated there. The leaks start from the basement itself and contribute to the water damage from the burst pipes. Be prepared and have a list of good emergency plumbers near you. A burst pipe needs to be treated. It can be even scarier in the winters, when the pipes are frozen and can burst anytime with high water pressure from water damage. Don’t want your other house articles to be affected, even the building of your house. Henceforth, look for a water damage restoration company that helps you with burst pipe cleanup in St Charles. Learn what to do immediately to stop water damage and how our emergency burst pipe repair team can help you recover fast after a pipe burst. Make sure you have enough insurance coverage for a pipe burst situation.
What to Do Immediately After a Pipe Bursts
A local company like that of Restoration 1 of St Charles, a reputable professional offering burst pipe water damage cleanup services, can help you get your house or office premises on its feet. But there are a few things that you need to do before the experts arrive and fix the water damage from a burst pipe. First, you need to respond quickly and smartly when you experience a burst pipe. Inspect the situation and call the water restoration experts immediately. They will assess the water damage and advise you of the next steps and provide you with a reasonable quotation. You shouldn’t delay the burst pipe cleanup when you have frozen pipes that have burst in the winter, as St. Charles winters are severe. You don’t want to waste any time restoring your property to its original shape as before the burst pipe/water damage happened.
Assessing the Damage
Here we speak about some steps to follow, to have all the water damage restoration (burst pipe) situations resolved, and that will help you in case of a burst pipe emergency repair.
- Stay Calm and Act Quickly: The first step is to stay calm because, to think right, the one thing that matters the most is that your mind should be in the right place. Without panic, it will be easy for you to inspect the root of the burst pipe problem and have its cleanup in St Charles. This will help you to curb the water damage from the burst pipe that will be experienced to your property or belongings.
- Shut Off Water Supply: The second step is very crucial. You need to turn off the main water supply. It is important because burst pipes in houses cause water damage, which is very chaotic, so turning off the main water supply will stop the water flow to the burst pipe, which will prevent flooding your property. So, find out where your main water shut-off valve is located and turn it off. Be careful in the frozen winter, as your pipes will freeze. Frozen burst pipes in the winter are more dangerous than burst pipes in the summer. Prevent your pipes from freezing altogether by shutting off the water supply.
- Drain Faucets and Appliances: This is the step that will reduce the pressure in the plumbing system, which will lead to no further leakage. You need to evade water damage from a burst pipe, and draining faucets and appliances is the next best way. After you are done shutting off the main water supply, you should proceed with opening all the taps and water-using appliances, for example, sinks, showers, and washing machines, as it will drain out all the water left in the pipe. In an emergency, feel free to call a plumber near you.
- Turn Off Electricity (If Safe): Water and electricity hold a relationship of enemies, so it is important to turn off all the electric appliances to avoid the risk of electrocution. It is crucial to provide safety to you and your loved ones; this is why disconnecting the supply of electricity from the affected area is crucial to avoid further chaos. Hope you are insured and your insurance coverage for a burst pipe is complete.
- Locate the Burst Pipe & Contain the Leak: It is important to notice the exact location of the burst pipe. The signs that will help you identify the location of burst pipes are discoloured walls, ceilings, and floors, because these are the common signs that lead to water damage, that too by a burst pipe. It’s required for a burst pipe cleanup.
- Look for Hidden Moisture: You can use towels and a vacuum (a wet vac) to dry the affected area. Also, opening all the windows and doors can help. Soaking up all the extra moisture helps in preventing further water damage, so never avoid this step.
- Document the Damage: It is an important step to make the insurance procedure easy and smooth. You can document the damage with the help of photos and videos. This step is required for the burst pipe insurance coverage. You should also keep a record of all the money you are investing in repairs, cleanup, and restoration because this is the information that will help you when filing an insurance claim.
Preventing Future Burst Pipes
It is very overwhelming to deal with a situation like a burst pipe. If you genuinely follow all the laid-out steps as mentioned above, you can protect yourself, your family, and your house from a burst pipe situation and its corresponding water damage. You will know if you are a victim of emergency burst pipe repair. From your current learnings of water damage from a burst pipe, you can have burst pipe cleanup done with the right water restoration company in St Charles in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What should I do first if a pipe bursts?
Call the professionals of water damage restoration immediately! Don’t start fixing pipes yourself; you may get injured (especially with frozen burst pipes in the winter).
2. Will insurance cover burst pipe water damage?
Yes, it depends on the insurance company to company. You may also get guidance from the expert water restoration company in St. Charles that you hire for the burst pipe cleanup.
3. How do you dry out a house after a pipe bursts?
The water damage restoration experts would use a dehumidifier and any other equipment to dry out a house within a few days. However, if you have a wet vac, you can also use it (but at the discretion of the professionals – if you aren’t ok with the know-it-hows).
4. Can a burst pipe cause mold?
Yes, it may, if the water is drained out from a burst pipe. You can read about it online or even call the restoration service companies for more information. Mold accumulates wherever there is moisture buildup. Moisture happens wherever there is water and condensation, and heat. A burst pipe can facilitate the growth of mold.
5. How quickly should you act after a pipe bursts?
Immediately, within the first 10 minutes. It’s no joke!