A burst pipe is always a sight for sore eyes. It can cause tons of damage to your home’s walls and electrics, which is why this issue needs to be resolved pronto. If you aren’t sure exactly what to do when you come across a leaky pipe, here are some handy steps to follow.
Shut the flow
Flowing water in your walls is not an ideal situation. It can interact with other elements and cause damage, or even come into contact with electricity, potentially becoming a hazard.
Shutting off the water should be your first order of business. Prevent it from causing any issues immediately.
Relieve pipe pressure
Just because you’ve shut the water doesn’t mean it’s all gone. It just stopped flowing inside the pipes.
There’s still some water leftover from what flowed before. Open a faucet and let the excess water run off and clear the pressure.
Clean what you can
If a pipe has burst, it’s probably already caused some damage. This can be noticed in the form of leaks in any given room.
Before you get down to fixing the problem, you might as well clean up the leak.
Turn the heat up
Hot temperatures will help dry out the most problematic areas of the leak. The hotter it is, the likelier it is that you’ll avoid mold and mildew build-up.
Turning up your home’s heating is a great idea. If you have a heater, point it at the most affected area.
Open all doors
Once your home is nice and hot, it’s important that this heat gets everywhere. Keep room doors open so that the hot air can get everywhere it has to go.
It would be a good idea to open cabinets and vanities as well, so the air will reach underneath the sink.
Add rubber
Rubber is the go-to material for stopping a leak. Check the pipe shape and apply an appropriate piece of rubber to help hold-off the leak.
However, this is only a temporary measure that will allow you to install a clamp over the leaking pipe.
Attach a clamp
Since you can’t fix the pipe on your own, you have to wait for professionals. While you wait, the leak needs to be stopped in its tracks to prevent it from doing damage.
This is where a clamp comes in. Use it to locally shut off pressure around where the pipe has burst. It’s a guaranteed way to buy you some time before plumbers arrive.
Call a plumber
Leaks can be serious business, and there’s no reason to put off fixing this problem. If you apply a temporary solution, the leak will only return once the solution fails and cause more potential damage.
To resolve the issue as soon as possible, call in an emergency plumbing service to your home and show them the pipe situation. This will pretty much guarantee that you won’t have to worry about the pipe again.
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Clear the damage
Burst pipes often leave some damage behind them. Instead of waiting for mold to set and damage your walls, you should start cleaning up.
Remove excess water and scrub away the dark spots. If you have to, repaint the walls that were adjacent to the leak.
Insulate the pipes
After the pipes have been repaired, they need to be insulated. This will help prevent future leaks from causing any dramatic damage.
It also helps to protect the integrity of the pipes themselves. The protection will go a long way in preventing burst pipes.
Conclusion
Solving a burst pipe problem is relatively easy if you keep your cool. Just remember your most essential steps and have a plumber’s number ready. As long as you act fast, you’ll solve the problem quickly and painlessly.
Author bio:
Ayla Anderson is an avid reader and an enthusiastic blogger who writes articles on home improvement, business, Family and beauty. She is also an MBA student who spends much of her time giving advice to newly small businesses on how to grow their businesses. You can follow me on https://twitter.com/Ayla55489508
