Burst Pipe in House? What to Do Right Now

If a pipe bursts in your home, the first thing you need to do is shut off your main water supply. Then, open your faucets to release the remaining water pressure. From there, what you do depends entirely on whether the water is clean or contaminated.

There are other safety measures you can take while you wait for a licensed plumber. We’ll guide you through these steps and how to properly document the damage for your insurance company. 

A burst pipe is a plumbing emergency. DIY tape and patches don’t solve the problem. Save yourself from a second flood- call a licensed pipe repair specialist immediately. You’ll protect your home and keep the cost of further flood remediation services in your pocket.

Broken pipe flooding your DFW home? Call Mother 24/7 for emergency pipe repair anywhere in the Metroplex, backed by our 6 year warranty.

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1. Shut Off Your Main Water Supply

The main water shut-off valve is outside most Dallas-Fort Worth homes. It’s attached to the city water meter. 

Locate your shut-off valve in one of these 3 areas:

1. Near the street in a buried box. It’s clearly marked “Water” and made from plastic or concrete.
2. The outside wall in front of your house. You’ll usually find it near a hose bib or exterior faucet.
3. Inside, next to the water heater. In some cases, the valve is inside where the water line enters your house. 

You’ll need a channel lock, adjustable wrench and flashlight. Some people may also need their meter key.

Use our simple step-by-step to learn how to turn the water off to your house.

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2. Open Your Faucets to Relieve Water Pressure

A lot of guides miss this simple but crucial step. Even with your incoming water supply turned off, there’s a lot of built-up water left inside the pipes in your home.

Open all the taps and faucets in your house to get that water pressure out of your plumbing system. You should notice a reduction in the spray coming from the leak.

“The water left in your pipes is water that can still damage your house,” explains our Responsible Master Plumber Steven Smith (RMP-43457). “Get it out before it becomes part of the flood.”

3. Shut Off The Electricity- If It’s Safe

It might seem “good enough” to just turn off appliances and fixtures near the burst pipe. But until a plumber conducts a thorough leak detection test, you can’t be sure if that’s the only leak in the house.

“The water lines in your house were probably all installed at the same time,” Steven says. “If one pipe is damaged by corrosion or high water pressure, there’s usually at least one more leak on the same pipe. Same age, same material, same water.”

Better safe than sorry. Head to the electrical panel and shut off all power to your home.

How to Tell If It’s Safe to Shut Off the Power

We all know not to touch electrical equipment if it’s wet or in standing water. But that’s the tip of the iceberg on electrical safety during a home flooding event.

The Red Cross provides a fantastic checklist for safely checking your home’s electrical system when a pipe bursts. Some of their best advice:

• If there’s water between you and the circuit breaker panel: Try to reach over it with a dry wooden implement (not metal). If you can’t reach, don’t push it- call a qualified electrician instead. Do not step in the water for any reason.
• Sights and smells: If you see sparks or frayed wires, or if you smell burning insulation, turn off the electricity immediately. If you cannot reach the breaker, stop right now and leave the house.
• Look for tripped breakers. If any individual breakers flipped, the leak may have damaged wiring in your home. Call an electrician. 

Visually Check Electrical Appliances from a Distance

With the power off, return to the affected area and look at all electrical appliances and fixtures near the leak. Stay a safe distance away. 

Check to see if any of these are in standing water, wet, or still running for any reason:

If anything is wet or still running, don’t try to move or fix it. Not only is it dangerous, you want things “as-is” until you document them for insurance.

4. Call Your Local Licensed Plumber Now

Now’s the time to pick up the phone and call the emergency plumber you trust the most. 

Here’s how to choose the right contractor to locate and repair your leak:

• BBB accredited. An A+ rating is a great start. Choose a plumber that’s accredited as well- you can find our BBB listing here.
• Local experience. A big box contractor may not understand the local reasons for your leak. DFW home plumbing leaks are commonly caused by electrolysis on copper pipes and mineral scale from hard water.
• Relevant warranty. Mother offers a 6 year warranty on parts and labor associated with your water line repair.

Choose a Plumber with No-Damage Leak Detection Equipment

The damaged pipe behind your drywall caused enough damage. The plumber you choose shouldn’t add more.

Make sure the service you choose offers three types of non-invasive leak location equipment:

1. Acoustic leak detectors use sound waves to locate pinhole leaks down to 0.004 inches without opening your walls or floorboards.
2. Thermal imaging cameras use infrared technology to display cold and hot water leaks through solid surfaces with a color map.
3. Drain cameras are specifically useful for broken drain pipes or water lines underneath your kitchen and bathroom fixtures.

5. Contain and Remove the Water if Possible

This step only applies if you have a clean, freshwater leak. Do not attempt to clean up or stop the flow of sewage, wastewater or contaminated water. Wear rubber boots and gloves throughout this process.

Your primary goal is containing the spread of water. Use towels and rags to form a containment border around the edges of the affected area. 

Use a wet mop to sop up the water you can. If there is active spraying or leakage from a point above the floor, use buckets to catch the water. Don’t use a wet-dry vac (shop vacuum) that requires electricity- keep the power off.

Ventilate the Space for Added Help

Airflow helps water evaporate. Open windows. Set up high-velocity fans and dehumidifiers to pull moisture away from the area. 

6. Document the Damage for Insurance

Take photos and videos for insurance purposes before you start moving things. Make sure this is done before any water damage restoration or remediation service begins work on your property. 

If a water-damaged item or personal belonging is moved before you document its current location, your insurance adjuster may claim it wasn’t damaged by the leak event.

Some of the photos your take also help your plumber identify the best leak detection tools to use and the best repair option.

Waiting to Document Can Get Your Claim Denied

Most homeowners insurance policies cover “sudden and accidental” water damage. But the Texas Department of Insurance notes that policies “won’t usually cover damage from gradual leaks”.

Real-world translation: If you wait to document the damage until days after the leak, your insurance may deny the claim based on negligence.

It’s stressful to look at a flood in your house. But take a breath and snap photos now.

Here’s What to Take Pictures and Video Of

Do your best to get photos and/or video of these locations and items. They’ll help with your water damage insurance claim, and help your plumber assess the situation.

Bad Advice You’ll Find Online- Don’t Do This

We’ve read plenty of bad “DIY hacks” for fixing home water leaks in online forums and blogs. They’re cheap and quick, but they aren’t “quick fixes”- because they don’t fix anything.

“Please, don’t do these things,” Steven urges. “There are other ways to save money without ruining your house.”

Don’t Patch the Leak with Duct Tape, Epoxy or a Hose Clamp

Amateur plumbing sites love pushing these products as home fixes for a plumbing leak. Here’s why none of them actually work:

1. Sudden failure. Patch jobs fail. They fall off, or the water pressure bursts through them. You won’t know when it’s coming, but the ensuing “second wave’ is always worse than the first leak event.
2. Voided warranties. DIY patches void warranties- whether on the originally installed pipe materials or a plumber’s workmanship warranty on the existing line.
3. Hides the breach. The patch actively hides the true failure point in your water pipe from the plumber. This makes diagnosis slower and the repair less certain.
4. Denied claims. DIY pipe repairs with epoxy or tape are considered negligent behavior and cause insurance providers to deny water damage claims.

Don’t Cut Into Walls or Floors Yourself

You might find the leak, but you’ll do a ton of unnecessary property damage in the process. And the added remediation costs are the least worrisome outcome here.

• Hitting electrical and plumbing lines. Cutting blindly can damage other in-wall and subfloor plumbing and electrical systems.
• Injury. Calling a plumber is easier than a trip to the ER.
• Repair complication. If you hit the affected pipe, a simple targeted spot repair turns into a costly pipe replacement.

Need Emergency Water Line Repair in DFW? Call Us

A burst pipe is a daywrecker, for sure. But follow our steps and call a reliable licensed plumber, and a one-day nightmare won’t become a weeks-long saga.

The first 10 minutes after you discover a water leak in your house are important. Turn off the main water supply and the electric power to your home. Open the faucets to alleviate remaining water pressure. Then, turn to a qualified emergency plumber.

Be as picky with your plumbing hire as with your flood remediation team. Expect non-invasive leak detection equipment, comprehensive repair options, and transparent pricing. Now isn’t the time to take advantage of your stress- we don’t add emergency dispatch fees or upcharges.

We’re here 24/7 to answer your emergency burst pipe repair call. 

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