This is What You Need To Do When A Pipe Bursts!

While your first instinct when a pipe bursts may be to panic, it's best to keep a cool head and work your way through the actions below instead. Read on to find out what to do when you find a burst pipe in your home. 

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Turn the water off 

Obviously, it may be but turning the water supply to your home off is one of the most sensible things you can do if you find a burst pipe. This is because it will stop any additional flow of water and make dealing with the burst, as well as the damage the water causes much easier in the long run. 

Of course, knowing where your home’s main water valve is located ahead of an emergency situation is vital. After all, you don't want to waste precious time searching all over the house for it when you already have a flood taking place. 

Turn off the electricity 

You are probably already well aware that water and electricity don’t mix well, and this is definitely worth bearing in mind when you have a burst water pipe. Indeed, before you go anywhere near the pipe, or the water that has come out of it you need to make sure that the electricity has been turned off. 

However, if you can’t get to your electrical panel to shut off power because there is water blocking your way, it's best to call a qualified electrician so they can safely do this for you. 

Call in the professionals 

The next task is to recruit the help of a professional plumber. It's not that some burst pipes can’t be DIY-fixed, it's just that it's a much better idea to get a professional to handle it for you. Indeed, they can help reduce your stress in this type of situation, as well as make sure the repair is good quality and so will last for longer. 

Begin the clean-up 

After calling the plumber and making sure the area is safe you can start to clean up the mess that the water leaking from a burst pipe has caused in your home. 

There are a few things to remember here. The first is that the faster you can clean the water up the less damage there is likely to be. Also, by getting rid of the water quickly you will prevent a situation where you have standing water in the home, which can encourage the growth of toxic mold which not only ruins your possessions but can also pose an additional risk to the health of those that live at your property. 

If the damage from the leak is significant you may wish to contact a water damage restoration specialist to help you with the cleanup and repairs. This option will also help you get your home livable, and back to normal as quickly as possible. 

Document everything

Finally, when dealing with the damage that is caused by a burst water pipe, it's very important to take pictures and keep records of everything including the repairs. Then you can use this as evidence when dealing with your insurance company.