Burst Pipe? 7 Urgent Steps to Stop Water Damage Fast

A burst pipe can soak floors, drywall and cabinets in minutes, and every minute the water runs makes the cleanup bigger. The good news: most of the damage is decided by what you do before the plumber arrives. Here is the order our plumbers walk Marietta, Cobb, Paulding and Douglas County homeowners through on the phone.

What to do in the first 10 minutes after a burst pipe

1. Shut off the main water valve. Look where the water line enters the house: a basement wall, crawl space, garage, utility closet or near the water heater. Turn a round handle clockwise until it stops, or turn a lever a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe. If you cannot find it, the meter box near the street has a shut-off, but it usually needs a meter key.
2. Turn off the water heater. Set a gas heater to “off” or “vacation,” or switch off the breaker for an electric one. A heater that keeps firing while the supply is off can be damaged.
3. Cut power to wet areas. Only flip breakers if you can reach the panel without standing in water. If the panel itself is wet, stay away and call the power company.
4. Drain the lines. Open the lowest faucet in the house (or an outside spigot) and the cold taps upstairs. That empties the water still sitting in the pipes so less of it reaches the break.
5. Start moving water out. Pull rugs, boxes and electronics off the wet floor, then use towels, a mop or a wet-vac. Stay out from under any ceiling that is sagging.
6. Take photos and video. Get the broken pipe, the wet areas and damaged items before you clean up. Your insurance adjuster will ask for them.
7. Call a plumber. A burst pipe does not wait for business hours, and neither do we. Call (404) 819-2137 any time, day or night.

How to find where the burst pipe is

Sometimes the break is obvious. Other times the water is inside a wall, under a floor or out in the yard. Watch for these signs:

• The sound of running water when every faucet is off
• New water stains, bubbling paint or soft drywall on a ceiling or wall
• A sudden drop in water pressure across the house
• A water meter that keeps spinning with everything turned off
• Soggy, sunken spots in the yard between the meter and the house

If you cannot see the leak, our leak detection service uses listening equipment and thermal imaging to pinpoint it, so we only open the wall or floor where the pipe actually failed.

Why a pipe bursts in metro Atlanta homes

Freezing is the classic cause here. When water freezes it expands, and pressure builds between the ice and a closed faucet. That is why the split often shows up a few feet away from the frozen spot, and why the leak usually appears when the pipe thaws. Our guide to keeping pipes from freezing in metro Atlanta covers how to protect them, and the National Weather Service posts winter safety tips before hard freezes.

Freezing is not the only cause. We also see pipes fail from:

• Aging pipe materials, especially gray polybutylene pipe found in many Cobb County homes built in the 1980s and 1990s
• Water pressure that runs too high, which strains joints and fittings over time
• Corrosion inside older galvanized steel lines
• Tree roots and shifting soil around underground service lines

What not to do with a burst pipe

• Do not use electric tools or appliances while standing in water.
• Do not thaw a frozen pipe with an open flame or a torch.
• Do not turn the main back on to “see if it stopped.” It hasn’t.
• Do not wait on a small drip from a ceiling. It usually means more water is above it.

How we repair a burst pipe

We find the break, cut out the damaged section and replace it with new pipe, then pressure-test the line and check nearby joints that took the same stress. You get the price before any work starts. If the pipe is buried, our water line repair team can fix or replace the service line. If your home keeps having leaks from old plumbing, we will walk you through whether a whole-house repipe makes sense.

Does homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe?

Many homeowners policies cover sudden, accidental water damage from a burst pipe, but not damage from a slow leak or from a problem that was ignored. Every policy is different, so call your agent early, keep your photos, and save the plumber’s invoice showing what failed.