Steps To Take After a Pipe Breaks

1/18/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage can make a real mess. If any problem related to this occurs, do not hesitate to contact us.

Bursting pipes in your commercial building can cause a lot of damage before you even know there's a problem. When this happens, you need to act quickly to minimize damage to the building and keep repair costs as low as possible.

Here are a few steps you need to take as soon as you are aware of a busted pipe.

Turn Off Water Main

The first thing you need to do when you discover any major leak is to shut down the water source. For most buildings, this is going to be the water main. This action accomplishes several things:

• Halts the flow of water to the broken pipe
• Relieves pressure on other pipes to keep them intact
• Gets the building ready for repair

Call Repair Professionals

The next step is to get repairs started as soon as possible. Call a local plumber who can come out and fix the broken pipe. After all, it doesn't do any good to repair the damage around it if the pipe spews water again after it's turned back on! You also need to call water damage restoration specialists to mitigate any problems with the building that are caused by the leak. When they arrive on site, they assess the damage and make a plan to address it. If you hire a company that takes care of both mitigation and restoration, you don't have to worry about making sure both teams keep each other informed.

Drain Pipes

While you are waiting on the plumber and the mitigation team to arrive, you can take an extra step to prevent additional problems with bursting pipes, especially if temperatures outside are below freezing. Turn on the faucets and flush the toilets to remove all the water that remains in them. That way, even if other pipes freeze overnight, there's no water in them to cause a break.

Document Damage

Your mitigation team will give you an itemized list of what needs to be done to fix the water damage in Bountiful, UT, but it doesn't hurt to have your own documentation. Take pictures and videos of the affected area so that you have proof to back up the things you list on your insurance claim. If you can safely do so, it's a good idea to accompany the adjuster and the mitigation assessor when they survey the building to gain a better understanding of all the repairs that are needed.

Upgrade Prevention Measures

The best solution to busted pipes is to prevent them from happening in the first place. While you are waiting on repairs to be finished, buy supplies to insulate the rest of your pipes, particularly the ones that are located along external walls. Make sure your thermostat remains no lower than 55 degrees overnight to help keep pipes warm. While the plumber is there, ask him or her to inspect pipes for small pinhole leaks and repair them before they get larger and cause a lot of damage.

Water damage from bursting pipes can make a big mess. With swift action and the right professional help, you should be able to get your building back in order in no time.