My Water Pipes Just Bursted, What Do I Do

My Water Pipes Just Bursted, What Do I Do

Call Calloway Cleaning and Restoration immediately to get a truck on the way. We have 24/7 care available to you and will respond instantly in an emergency like this.

Turn the main water line off to your home. The water shut off nozzle is normally located in your front yard near the street curb where the main water line pipe flows to your residence.

Pipes bursting and leaking water all over your home is a major threat this time of year, December through March. Keep yourself and your family as safe as possible by being vigilant and remembering to follow some of the following preventative actions. According to Gartner research: more than 5000,000 families and homes experience frozen and/or burst pipes each year in the U.S.

15% – 25% (or more) of homeowner’s insurance claims each year are due to water damage and freezing. As a homeowner you have a 50% chance of a water related emergency in your private residence than any other emergency or disaster. Leaking water or still sitting water anywhere in your home outside of your water lines increase your chances of mold and erosion by 67%.

Call Calloway Cleaning and Water Restoration, our expert licensed team is your best bet to prevent your home from experiencing a pipe burst. Our team of experts can inspect your home to locate potential pipe bursts and prevent them from happening, saving you thousands of dollars in the long run. Call us right away.

Be proactive toward protecting your home from freezing pipes and pipe bursts. Here is what you should do:

1. Keep Your Home Water Faucets Running
When the temperature starts to drop to 32 degrees fahrenheit or below, keeping water flowing through your house pipes should prevent them from freezing and then potentially bursting. Slow drip your faucets if needed. You only need a slow dripping flow so don’t worry, it will not severely affect your water bill. Trust us, a slow dripping flow and paying an extra couple bucks on your water bill versus a pipe burst is much less expensive to cover.

2. Make Sure To Provide Warm Air To Cold Areas Of Your Home
Pipes that are closest to the exterior walls of your home are the most vulnerable to freezing weather. Be sure to cover your outside hose spigots as well as try and direct heat to areas of your home that may not be well heated. If you do choose to use space heaters as a temporary solution to provide extra heat to your home to warm the water pipes, make sure you monitor them closely to make sure there are no malfunctions.

3. Leave Your Cabinet Doors Open
If your kitchen sink is on an outside wall (most usually are), leaving your cabinet doors open will allow the warm air inside the home to circulate within your cabinets where cold air can sit. This preventative freezing technique can be very effective to lower the chances of your interior pipes bursting from a freeze.

4. Disconnect Your Hose From The Outside Faucet / Spigots
Every Winter, it is good practice to disconnect your hose from the outside faucet. By doing this, you are eliminating the possibility of water build up in the hose bib which can freeze, expand and burst the pipe. Many home pipe bursts are caused by neglected outside water nozzles.

5. Heat Tape (little known trick)
There is a product called heat tape that can be installed and will warm pipes as needed during cold weather. You can buy this product at any Home Depot or Lowes in the plumbing section. Uline and Grainger are more of the popular resources to find quality heat tape. Most homeowners prefer the heat tape over the heat cable because heat tape is more flexible and easier to install. While you could do this yourself, you may want to consult with Calloway Cleaning and Restoration who would be happy to refer you to a trusted plumber.

6. Caulk Small Air Openings Around Your Pipes
A popular practice by home owners to protect their pipes is caulking small spaces around the water pipes in the home. Calloway Cleaning and Restoration would be happy to refer a trusted expert company to assist you with caulking if you so choose.

7. Always Keep Your Home Temperature at a Safe Level
Most homeowners make the dangerous mistake of turning off their air when they leave to go on vacation or a business trip. You always want to keep your air on in case of a freeze. Suggested air temperature to keep your home safe from pipes bursting would be 60 degrees if you are leaving for a trip. This will ensure that the house always stays well above freezing to prevent the pipes from bursting.

Trust Calloway, we’re just a phone call away.