Emergency Plumber Explains How to Turn off Water to Your Home In Case of Burst Pipes

Water pipe bursting is a natural thing for homeowners. Usually, when water freezes or expands with incredible force, then weak pipes tend to explode. And if you experience a pipe burst, the first thing you do is call a plumber. But in case the plumber takes time to arrive at your place, what will you do?

So, when you are prepared, this will reduce your suffering water leaking plus minimize the damage.

Here are some tips for you to keep your water pipe from bursting –

  1. Shut off the Water

In the winter season, when water freezes, it usually expands the volume by about 9 percent, which expands tremendous force. In fact, the pressure can go from 40 lbs square inch to 40,000 psi which is huge. And no pipe can hold this much pressure that causes pipe burst. Hence, to prevent any damage, you should turn off the water.

  1. Open the Faucet

Once you turn off the water, you need to open a faucet. This will relieve water pressure in the pipes, which ensures minimal damage.

  1. Clean water at home

Simply grab a mop with a bucket to get rid of that because the water will soak everything in your house. Thus, a quick clean reduce any damage to your house, plus it reduces the stress if something is getting moldy.

  1. Switch on the heat

Make sure you turn on the fan into cold rooms; at the same time, keep your garage door closed. When you notice the water flow is reduced, you can use a hairdryer to heat the most vulnerable pipes. Moreover, while you apply heat, the faucet should be on. You can also insulate your walls as a precaution to keep pipes from freezing.

  1. Open the doors

Leave the doors open of your house when the pipes are exposed inside the pantries or closets. Since open doors help the warm air reach pipes under sinks too.

  1. A temporary Fix

If your emergency plumber takes time to arrive, you have to create a temporary fix to secure the pipe.

Electrical Tape: You will need electrical tape for small holes. Simply wrap the tape around the holes a few times, and then you can place the hose clamp on the pipe.

Epoxy Putty: You can use the epoxy putty if the hole is bigger. When the putty is hardened fully, you can turn on the water to check out the leaks.

Sleeve Clamp: Use a sleeve clamp to secure the lock on the water pipe. Place them over the hole, and this will reduce the damage.

  1. Put Rubber over the leaking pipe

You can place a rubber over the broken pipe to reduce water flow at your home. So, if you have a burst pipe, make sure you put in Rubber.

  1. Use a woodblock before adding a clamp

Before fastening, you can use a block of wood on the Rubber. This will stop the leak since the wood spreads the pressure to prevent the pipe from collapsing.

  1. Use a C-Clamp

You can use C-Clamp as a temporary fix for water leaking. The C-Clamp needs to be fixed over the wooden block plus the Rubber.

  1. Cut the Damage Pipe

If you are slightly expert at repairing, then simply cut out the damaged area of the pipe. Before cutting, ensure the main water supply valve is shut off and drain the damaged water pipe. And then measure the area to cut it off.

So, try these tips when you find a damaged pipe at your home. If your plumber cannot reach you on the spot, then you can try these tricks. These will help reduce the damage slightly.

Should You Contact Your Insurance Company?

You should contact the insurance company if they cover a sudden pipe burst. Thus this would be a great way to cover up your damage costing.

Show the documents about broken pipe or water damage to everything in between you need to cover up burst pipe.

Conclusion

There are several reasons for pipe bursting, but one of the most common reasons is temperature falling. When water freezes, the pipe expands and builds pressure which eventually bursts. And you can prevent burst pipes by replacing old pipes, insulating your pipes, or locating the main water shutoff valve.