Bang! What was that? A pipe bursting can be a nightmare, especially if water is pouring everywhere!
First things first, turn off the water!
Get the water turned off ASAP so you can try and suppress the problem until professional help arrives. To turn off your water you’ll need to find one of the two stop taps at your home. One will be inside (often under a sink, but if you can’t find yours ask a neighbour, as most likely theirs’ will be in the same place) and one will be outside of your home near the property boundary. Turning either of these taps clockwise will completely stop the flow of water, giving you a spare minute to call for help by calling us, Happy Drains, on 0800 849 8099 or 07824 757572.
Contact a professional, find the problem & assess the damage
While you’re waiting for us to arrive, see if you can find the damaged pipe. Look in kitchens including under plinths and in bathrooms. If the burst pipe isn’t obvious, look for signs of slow water damage on walls and ceilings. Don’t worry if you can’t find it, we’ll locate the problem when we arrive.
You can now start to clean up the excess water. Acting quickly will mean the water damage will be as minimal as possible. Gather old towels, buckets or whatever you need to get rid of the water. Remember to dispose of any water outside and not down a plughole, as if you’ve not yet found the burst pipe, you might end up adding to the problem. Unplug anything electrical near any water and make sure to note any damage, as if you’re hoping to claim on your home insurance, you’ll need some details.
Drain the taps
Once you’ve cleaned up what you can, drain your taps by turning them on and letting the remaining water run out into a bucket or bowl. This way, there will be no remaining water in the system.
Sort the clean up
If needing to do a bigger clean up, you’ll want to disinfect anything the water has contaminated and take action to prevent any mould growth. Carpets for example, will need to be taken up, cleaned and disinfected, possibly more than once. You can contact professionals who can do things like this, and a full clean up, for you.
For any worries about your pipework or drains this winter, contact us at Happy Drains on 0800 849 8099 or 07824 757572.
