What to Do When a Pipe Bursts Under Your Kitchen or Bathroom

Of all the problems which face homeowners, burst pipes rank right up there among the most troublesome and costly to repair. Other than a fire in the kitchen, which could quickly get out of control, or a tree falling through the roof, burst pipes are a huge concern and a costly repair. So, if you are all of a sudden standing in inches of water, what should you do? Following are five of the most important things to do in just that order.

1. Shut Off the Main

While you may be in a state of shock, shake yourself out of it, locate the water main into the house and quickly shut it off. There’s a burst pipe somewhere and if you don’t cut off the supply of water, you’ll be in far more trouble than you currently are.

2. Mop up the Water

If you have a wet-vac, use it! Whatever water you can’t vacuum up you must be quickly mopped up. Many homeowners go through every towel in the house trying to get the last remnants of water cleaned up before it seeps through to the foundation. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just do it!

3. Put a Fan on Immediately

Next, you’ll want to get the area as dry as you can as quickly as you can. Get every fan you have in your home, face it toward the floor and put it on high. One is good, but several are better. The flow of air across the surface will help water evaporate much quicker.

4. Call a Plumber

Now that you’ve tackled the ‘emergency’ aspects, it’s time to call in an emergency plumber. If you’ve turned off the water, mopped it up, and put fans on the floor to help it dry quicker, you might want to wait until normal business hours to make that call. Service calls made nights and weekends can more than double regular prices, so if at all possible, call Monday through Friday during their hours of operation. Just make sure the water stays off! It’s an inconvenience, but a necessary one.

5. Notify Your Insurance Company

Hopefully, you have homeowners’ insurance and optional flood insurance, which should cover most of the repairs minus any deductibles you’ve set. Always notify your insurance company immediately so they can have an adjuster out before the plumber of your choice does anything at all.

6. Decide If You Can Stay in The Home While Repairs Are Made

Based on what the insurance adjuster and plumber say about the needed repairs, you may want to decide whether you can stay in the home until all repairs are completed. It could take a few days or it could take weeks. If you choose to stay in the home while it is being repaired, just know that you can still take showers and go to the restroom because there are companies you can rent these mobile facilities from. Check out Satellite Restroom Trailers so that you can have one delivered as soon as possible.

Staying in a motel during repairs could be more than you are able or willing to pay. Most homeowners prefer to stay in their home while lengthy repairs are being made, and you can too. Why spend more money than you can afford when everything you need is right here, minus the toilet that is? You can even drink and cook with bottled water, but you can’t live without facilities. Follow these steps and you’ll be able to react quickly and efficiently in the event of a burst pipe. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use it, but keep this checklist handy with all the emergency numbers you may need.

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