No one ever thinks a water pipe will break or burst at their home. But when it does happen, it causes property owners to panic quickly. The same thing could happen to you.
Imagine massive amounts of water leaking onto your floors at a rapid rate from a damaged water pipe.
If you do not stop the leakage soon enough, it could cause permanent damage to your flooring, walls, and furniture.
It is wise to call a professional, such as Plumber Newcastle after you experience pipe damage. However, you must take immediate steps to stop the water leakage and prevent further damage to your property.
Below are the top seven things to do if a pipe breaks in your home.
Table of Contents
1) Shut Off the Main Water Valve
Every home has a main water valve in its basement or somewhere on the property’s exterior wall.
When the main water valve is turned on, it allows the water supply to flow throughout the house’s pipes. But if you turn off the valve, it will block the water flow to your home.
When you have leaky pipes, you can stop the leakage by shutting off the main water valve. Then you can proceed to have the pipes fixed or replaced accordingly.
2) Turn on Your Faucet
There is a lot of water pressure inside your pipes. Once you shut off the main water valve, the pressure will still be there.
You can relieve the pressure by turning on the faucet associated with the damaged pipe. As a result, any remaining water inside the pipes will not leak out so quickly.
It will eventually get to a point where the remaining water sits in the pipes and does not leak out very much at all.
3) Shut Off the Circuit Breaker
Water leakage might cause a fire if the water makes contact with any electrical wiring or appliances in the home. You can prevent a fire by shutting off the circuit breaker to the room where the leakage occurs.
If the leakage is massive, then shut off the main circuit breaker to eliminate the electricity to the entire house. Once you get the leakage problem resolved, you can turn the circuit breaker back on.
4) Remove the Water from the Floor
After you have stopped the leak, you must remove the water from the floor as soon as possible. Otherwise, the water will damage your property and cause mould to form everywhere.
A mop and bucket can remove a small amount of water. But if you have massive amounts of water to remove, you will need to use a water vacuum.
5) Turn on a Dehumidifier
Too much water leakage will cause your room to become humid and moist. These conditions are ideal for mould growth.
That is why a dehumidifier is the best thing to use in this case. A dehumidifier will remove moisture from the air in the room.
If the leakage has affected multiple rooms, then a dehumidifier in each room might be the best thing to combat the problem.
6) Move Your Belongings
If it looks like the water leakage will damage your belongings and possessions, then move them out of the way to safety.
Put your electronic devices, furniture, computers, and sensitive documents into storage so that they do not suffer any more damage than necessary.
7) File an Insurance Claim
When a broken or burst pipe damages your property, you have the right to file a water damage claim with your insurance company.
Most homeowner’s insurance policies should cover unforeseen water damage that can be attributed to a pipe break.
Just make sure you have taken all the necessary steps to mitigate the damage, as outlined in the steps above.
Some insurance companies might deny your claim if their investigation shows that you did not do enough to prevent further water damage.
