What do I do after a pipe break?

3/6/2023 (Permalink)

When your home suffers a water loss from a broken pipe, call the professionals.

A pipe break is a frustrating, stressful, and expensive problem to have. Fortunately, it's also something that can be fixed. In the meantime, here are some things you can do to minimize damage and speed up the repair process.

Turn off the water supply to the pipe.

The first thing you need to do is turn off the water supply valve for your home or business. This will stop any further damage before it can happen and keep you from wasting money on unnecessary repairs that could have been avoided if you had turned off the valve earlier. It's important that you know where this valve is located, so take some time now and check all of your pipes for signs of leaking or damage. If there's no sign of leakage anywhere else in your home, then this may be an easy fix but if there are signs of leaks or flooding in other areas around town, contact a plumber immediately.

Turn off the power to any heating or air-conditioning equipment near the leak.

Turn off the power to any heating or air-conditioning equipment near the leak, turn off the circuit breaker controlling your home's electrical supply. If you cannot locate a circuit breaker, call an electrician to turn off electricity at its source.

Clean up as much water as possible

Clean up as much water as possible using towels or mop, but do not use a vacuum cleaner. You want to stay away from electricity when your home suffers from a water loss. Vacuum cleaners can cause more damage because they suck up the water and pull it into the motor of your vacuum, which will then overheat and burn out your machine.

Call your local plumber for help.

In the event that you do experience a pipe break, it's important to know how to handle the situation. It's important to call your local plumber for help. If you try to fix the leak yourself, you could end up making things worse. Not only does this save money by avoiding unnecessary repair costs, but it also prevents damage to other pipes in your home or business. If you have any questions about how best to handle your leaky pipe problem, contact SERVPRO today!