If you’ve ever wished there was a handy, step by step guide on how to deal with the annoyance that is a burst pipe, then look no further as we’re here to help. The first thing you should always do in the event of a burst pipe is to locate your water supply and switch it off. This will usually be under your sink or in the ground outside your house, although the location can vary. Make sure you know where yours is so you can act quickly in an emergency.
Hopefully the water will stop leaking from the pipe once you’ve turned off the supply, but if it doesn’t then you should check out your water storage system. This will most likely be located in a tank in your attic. You need to drain the entire system of water, so turn off the tank and your central heating. This is especially important if you have an immersion heater. Then run all the taps and flush the toilet a few times to rid the system of water.
Once the system is free of water, the leak should stop but this doesn’t mean it’s entirely safe. You may want to switch off your electricity at the fuse box if you think there is even a slight chance that water may have leaked onto the electrics. Even if you think you can isolate the affected areas, you may want to turn off the whole system just in case. Ask a professional to check any wiring or sockets that get wet before turning the system back on.
This should secure your home as much as possible, but you also need to check to see if you have any structural damage caused by the leak as this can be another problem. Check for sagging ceilings and bulging wallpaper as these are telling signs. You should always get a plumber to come and replace your pipe unless you’re a DIY expert as they’ll be able to check the integrity of your entire system and deal with any tricky issues for you.
Once you have a new pipe, you should take action to minimize the chances of it bursting again. The main cause of burst pipes is due to them freezing in winter. The best way to stop this is to set your central heating to come on, even if you’re away on vacation, so it keeps a flow of warm water going round the system. You should also get a professional to check for general wear and tear in your system regularly to lower the likelihood of burst pipes.
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