Posted by: Chris Laney on February 19, 2019

Burst Pipes? Start the Clean Up Quickly - Follow These Steps to Minimize Water Damage

Being a homeowner comes with its own set of trials and tribulations. One of the worst things that homeowners deal with is burst water pipes. Not only do these pipes cause water damage to the house, but they can also be a perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew, and cause major structural damage.

When a pipe bursts, many of us don't know how to handle the problem other than calling a professional and hoping for the best. But what happens if a plumber has a long wait and water keeps flowing into your home?

Here are some quick temporary fixes that you can use to slow down the messiness of a burst pipe.

Start by shutting off the water.

When water freezes, it expands, and no pipe is built to withstand the pressure at which it does so! Because of this, pipes break open at their weakest spot, which is not always directly at the frozen area. If the break happens away from the frozen area, the water is free to flow out of the pipe and directly into your home. Shutting off the water valve will limit the amount of water damage that occurs within your home.

Place a piece of rubber around the leak, and use a clamp to hold the broken pipe in place.

This makeshift patch will (hopefully) keep the water from flowing full force, and at least slow it down enough to get a bucket in place to catch the water.

Open up the faucets.

This may sound a little funny, but turning on the faucets in the house can actually help take some of the pressure off of the pipes. If there is any excess pressure built up, it will flow out of the faucet instead of expanding within the pipe, causing another burst.

Start getting rid of the water.

It's important to start cleaning up the water as quickly as possible to avoid water damage, and mold or mildew growth. A mop, bucket, and shop vac are great ways to start carrying the water from your home back outside where it belongs.

Start warming up the pipes.

If the area where the pipes are housed is still exposed to the elements, start warming them up to prevent more frozen pipes. Heaters, hair dryers, and even hot towels can help keep pipes warm and get the water melting and flowing. Be certain that your faucets are open – as the ice melts, water flow will increase!

Once you have started with the above steps, it's time to call in the professionals. At Water Out, we have a specialized team that will inspect every area of the water damaged area, and ensure that the leak has been found and patched properly.

We will also make sure that there is no sign of mold or mildew, and if we suspect the possibility, will work with you and our mold remediation team to remove all affected areas quickly and safely.

With the winter months upon us, keeping frozen pipes at bay can become increasingly more difficult, but Water Out is here to help if disaster strikes. Call us today to for our water damage restoration services – we're available 24/7 for all emergencies in the Fort Wayne, IN area!