What to Do When a Pipe Bursts

Go straight to the main shut-off valve. In many Maryvale homes it is near the front hose bib where the line enters the house. If you cannot find or turn it, the City meter box near the street has a valve that can be turned with a meter key or adjustable wrench. Learn where both are before you need them.

If water is near outlets, cords, appliances or the breaker panel, do not walk through it. Turn off power to wet rooms only from a dry floor. If a ceiling is bulging with water, stay out from under it.

Once the main is closed, open a faucet at the lowest point, often an outside hose bib, to drain water left in the pipes. This reduces how much more leaks out of the break.

Take photos and video of the break, the water and damaged belongings. Insurers ask for them, and they cannot be retaken once cleanup starts. Keep the broken piece of pipe if a plumber removes it.

Lift furniture onto foil or blocks, move rugs, electronics, papers and photos to a dry room, and open interior doors for airflow. Do not use a household vacuum on water.

Call a licensed plumber to repair the pipe and a restoration company to remove the water and dry the house; see emergency water removal. In older Maryvale homes, a burst often means old galvanized pipe; ask the plumber about the rest of the system.

Report the loss to your insurer or agent the same day. Ask whether they want an adjuster to see it before drying starts, and whether they have preferred vendors. You can usually choose your own contractor.

On a slab, water runs under flooring and into baseboards and cabinets within hours. Drywall wicks it upward. The EPA advises drying within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold. Each hour of delay adds to the repair.

After the pipe is fixed and the house is dry, think about the rest of the plumbing. If one old pipe burst, others may follow. A plumber can tell you whether a repipe makes sense.

In older homes, failures usually happen in original galvanized pipe inside walls, at threaded fittings under sinks and at old valves. Supply hoses to washers, toilets and faucets also burst. Pipes in exterior walls or the attic can be stressed by heat. Knowing where the old pipe runs helps you react quickly.

Do not turn the water back on to see where it is leaking. Do not use electrical appliances in wet areas. Do not start tearing out walls before photos are taken and the insurer has been called. Do not let wet materials sit for days waiting for an adjuster; ask whether you can start drying.

Keep a flashlight, an adjustable wrench or meter key, a bucket, towels and the numbers for a plumber and a restoration company somewhere easy to reach. Show everyone in the house where the main valve is.

Pipe just burst? Close the main valve and call (623) 269-8054. A local provider answers 24 hours a day.

Keep the plumber's invoice and the restoration provider's reading log together with your insurance claim. Ask the plumber whether other old pipes in the home should be replaced.

Flexible connectors on top of the water heater and the cold valve itself can fail and spray. Close the valve on the cold line if you can reach it safely, or use the main.

A leak outside the house still raises your bill and can wet the foundation. Check hose bibs and the yard line too.

When a pipe bursts in your Maryvale home, act fast and stay calm: close the main valve, stay safe, take photos, move belongings and call both a plumber and a restoration provider. In older homes, ask about the rest of the pipes once the emergency is over, because one failure often means others are close behind.

Close the main, stay safe, photograph, move belongings and call a plumber and a restoration company. Fast action keeps a burst pipe from becoming a remodel.

Questions about what to do when a pipe bursts? Call (623) 269-8054 to reach a local Maryvale provider, 24 hours a day.