Pipe Burst In Your Home? Do The Following Things

If you suddenly have a pipe burst in your home, you may be scrambling to figure out what to do. There will be a ton of water emptying through the pipe and coming into your home, creating more damage as the water continues to flow. While you'll need to contact a plumber to perform the necessary plumbing repairs, there are some things that you'll need to do immediately to improve the situation.

Shut Off The Water

The first thing you need to do is figure out how to safely shut off your water. Some homes have the shutoff located in the basement with the shut-off valve being located right before the water enters the water meter. Other homes may have the shut-off valve located outside their home, usually in an underground compartment with a small cover on it. Knobs will need to be turned clockwise until it is tight, which will shut off all water flowing through your entire home.

If the pipe burst is isolated to a certain area of your home, you may be able to shut off the water with a closer valve. However, it may not be worth trying to troubleshoot which valve goes to which part of the house because it will delay the shut-off process.

Pump Out Standing Water

Your goal should be to remove as much water as possible on your own right after you turn off the flowing water. This is because all that water is going to absorb into nearby wood and other construction material, which will require extensive restoration to get rid of the water and mold that it creates.

If you have a lot of water that is an inch or two off the floor, purchase or rent a submersible pump from your local home improvement store so that it can suck up the water on the floor. You can attach a hose to the pump and direct it out of your home. For water that is not that deep, you can use a wet vacuum to suck up the water and dispose of it elsewhere.

Get Air Flowing

The key to drying out the area is air circulation. Use some box fans to circulate air in the room, ideally moving it from an open window and pushing it out another with a breeze. This will help remove the moisture from the air, prevent mold from growing, and help the area dry faster.

With these three things accomplished, you will have done all you can before the plumber arrives.

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