Burst water pipe: what to do in the first hour

Close the main valve. That one move stops the flooding. After that, crack open one faucet downstairs and another upstairs, which empties the pipes, and stay away from any electrics the water has touched. A split line left running can ruin a floor within hours. What a plumber actually does about it is laid out on our leaks and burst pipes page.

What counts as a burst pipe, and why do they happen in Pasadena?

A burst is a split, blown joint or crack that sends out water by the bucket, not a drip. Around Pasadena the usual causes are corrosion from the inside, pressure that runs too high, movement from age or earthquakes, a fitting that gave up, and now and then a freeze in the foothills. A pinhole leak is the smaller cousin, and it can grow.

The local housing mix explains a lot. Houses from the Craftsman era through the fifties often hold galvanized steel that rusts from within, copper that has pitted, or a patchwork of both. Very hard water leaves scale. If the pressure regulator has quit, static pressure can climb beyond the 80 psi ceiling the plumbing code uses, and every joint pays for it. Hard frost rarely reaches the valley floor, though foothill lots and uninsulated crawlspaces see the odd cold night. Unsure whether it is a burst or a leak? Spotting a burst pipe and early warning signs will help you decide.

Which steps come first when water is pouring out?

Shut the supply at the main valve, which commonly sits close to the meter or at the spot where the supply pipe comes through a front or garage wall. After that, empty the lines through the taps and avoid contact with electrics. When the house valve will not budge, a backup sits down in the curbside meter box, and the city's water emergency line is there to help.

The sequence I would follow:

1. Close the main. Clockwise. Pasadena Water and Power recommends finding this valve long before you need it and marking it with paint or tape. A stiff valve needs steady pressure, not a hammer or a pipe wrench cheater bar.
2. Empty the lines. Open the lowest cold tap and a high one, and flush a toilet or two.
3. Respect the electrics. Water falling through a light fixture, spreading toward outlets or heading for the panel is a hazard. Trip the main breaker solely when the panel can be reached over dry floor. If it is not, leave the room alone and phone the power company, or 911 for immediate danger.
4. Turn off the water heater. When the lines have emptied, shut its power off, or turn a gas control to pilot, so no element or burner runs dry.
5. Limit the spread. Lift rugs and valuables, lay towels, bail with buckets, run a shop vac.
6. Record it. Take stills and short clips of the pipe, the water and the damage before you start cleaning.

Anything broken between the street and the meter is the utility's problem. Pasadena Water and Power lists 626-744-4138 for water emergencies.

Is a burst pipe ever safe to fix yourself?

Stopping the water and drying the room is yours to do. The repair itself, any opening of walls and any permitted piping are a plumber's work. A pipe clamp or push-fit coupling may hold a small split overnight. Think of it as a bandage, because pipe that has burst usually has weak neighbors.

Hand it over when:

• Water keeps flowing after the main is shut, or the valve is seized.
• The failure sits behind plaster, in the slab or over a ceiling.
• The meter dial still spins while every tap is closed.
• The pipe is galvanized, polybutylene or simply ancient and more of it looks tired.
• Gas piping, an electrical box or the water heater is part of the picture.

A plumber removes the failed run, puts in new pipe and fittings, pressure-tests everything and, if the rest is near its end, prices a bigger fix or a full repipe. Money questions are answered in the cost of fixing a burst pipe, and night or weekend problems in emergency plumbing for burst pipes. A split in copper specifically is the subject of repairing a leaking copper pipe. Permitted work, and any job reaching $1,000, requires a California contractor license, and the CSLB website verifies the number.

How do I dry the house and keep mold away?

Get the standing water out, then dry every surface thoroughly and fast. The EPA's advice is to fix plumbing leaks quickly and dry items completely, and it warns that porous things such as carpet may have to be thrown out if they turn moldy. Fans and a dehumidifier help. Big or contaminated areas are for professionals.

The EPA treats mold patches of about 10 square feet as manageable at home, and recommends outside help beyond that, when the water was contaminated, or when anyone in the house has health worries. Wall cavities and insulation stay wet unseen, so give them extra attention. A bulging wet ceiling can drop: stay out from under it. If a wall still smells musty after drying, a moisture check can locate what is hidden.

Does homeowner insurance cover burst pipe damage?

Partly, in many cases, though the answer turns on the wording and on whether the water arrived suddenly or seeped for months. Sudden discharge is commonly covered, while slow leaks and the failed pipe itself may be excluded. Tell the insurer early, read the exclusions and save every record. The details are in insurance and burst pipes.

Keep the broken pipe section if the plumber removes it, along with photos, invoices, the time the water went off and notes on what you moved. Keep ruined materials until the adjuster has looked, unless health demands otherwise. Do not sign a contract with a restoration firm before comparing options.

How can I prevent the next one?

Learn where the main valve is, keep pressure inside limits, replace tired sections before they split and insulate pipes in cold corners. A cheap gauge on the outdoor spigot shows static pressure. Pitted copper and old galvanized steel are candidates for a planned repipe rather than waiting for round two. Preventing pipe bursts lists the habits.

Want an on-site look and a price on paper? Begin on our quote page; the plumber who attends does the work. Everything else we offer around the San Gabriel Valley is collected at Pasadena Pipe Works.