Burst pipe: first steps
Entry in Choosing pipe and trouble · Updated · Written by the Know Your Pipes editors from the sources listed under References
When a pipe bursts, what to do first is stop the water at the main shutoff valve, keep away from water near electrical equipment, and call a licensed plumber.[1][2] The order of those steps matters more than any repair.
1 Stopping the water
The main shutoff valve controls all water entering the house. Most are located where the water line enters the building, often near the front hose connection, in a basement near the water heater, or in a garage.[1] Extension guidance urges every household to find this valve, and to show adults and older children how to use it, before an emergency.[3] The shutoff valves entry describes the common valve types.
Some utilities also advise turning off the water heater and closing the shutoff valve on its cold-water inlet after a burst.[1] Where the main valve cannot be reached or will not close, many water utilities will shut off service on request; in Portland, Oregon, for example, the utility owns the pipes up to and including the meter, and pipes on the house side are the owner's responsibility.[1]
2 Electricity and safety
Water spreading toward outlets, the electrical panel or appliances changes the priority from saving property to avoiding shock. Federal emergency guidance says to turn off electricity to prevent shock only if it is safe to do so.[2]
3 Frozen-pipe bursts
Many bursts follow a cold snap. Water expands as it freezes and can crack or split a pipe, and the leak may begin only when the line thaws.[3] A pipe that has frozen may already be broken, so extension guidance advises knowing where the main valve is before thawing begins and closing it if a leak appears.[4] Pipes must never be thawed with an open flame; blowtorches and kerosene or propane heaters are fire hazards and can release carbon monoxide.[4][5] How different materials respond to freezing is covered in frozen pipes by material.
| Order | Concern | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Close the main water valve | Stops new water from entering[1] |
| 2 | Keep clear of wet electrical equipment | Shock risk[2] |
| 3 | Call a licensed plumber | Repairs and pressure testing |
| 4 | Note what failed | Material and location help the repair |
4 Calling a plumber
Repairs to supply piping are work for a licensed plumber, and permanent repairs may need a permit under the local plumbing code. Push-fit fittings are the only joining method this reference treats as suitable for a homeowner's emergency repair, and then only when both the fitting's instructions and the local code permit it. Noting the pipe material, using identifying the pipes in your house, helps the plumber arrive with the right parts. A licensed plumbing company's service page usually lists emergency leak and pipe repair work; one Pennsylvania company's plumbing service page (Central Plumbing & HVAC has the same owners as this reference) is an example, and that company serves only Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania.
Video
A water authority's reminder to find and label the main shutoff before a pipe ever bursts. From the Western Virginia Water Authority channel; nothing loads from the video site until you press play.
See also
- Polybutylene pipeGray, flexible plastic water supply pipe used in US homes from the late 1970s; leaks and class actions ended its use.
- Push-fit fittingsFittings that seal by pushing tube into an O-ring and locking device; covered by ASSE 1061 for PEX, copper, CPVC and PE-RT.
- Frozen pipes by materialHow PEX, CPVC, PVC and copper behave when the water inside them freezes, and why no pipe is freeze-proof.
- Shutoff valvesThe valves that stop water in a house: ball, gate and fixture stop valves, how they differ, and the rules that apply to them.
- Pinhole leaks in copper pipeSmall leaks in copper water tube caused by pitting corrosion, and the water, flow and workmanship factors linked to them.
- Identifying the pipes in your houseColor, scratch, magnet and print-line clues that tell lead, galvanized steel, copper, PEX, CPVC, PVC and ABS apart.
References
- Portland Water Bureau, "What to do if water pipes freeze, leak, or burst as temperatures rise" (2024) — portland.gov
- Ready.gov (FEMA), "Floods" — ready.gov
- Utah State University Extension, "Advice to Prevent Frozen Pipes" (2016) — extension.usu.edu
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, "Winter Storms: Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes" — texashelp.tamu.edu
- National Weather Service, "Essential Tasks After it Warms Up" — weather.gov