The first ten minutes of a burst pipe
Water from a split pipe can run at several gallons a minute, so minutes matter more than anything else. Shut the water off at the main valve, open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain the lines, and call. Then deal with the rest.
Our line runs 24/7 and takes calls at night, on weekends and on holidays. Same-day appointments are offered when available, and dispatch can talk you through the shutoff while the plumber is on the way.
Do this before the plumber arrives
Four steps that limit the flooding.
Close the main shutoff
It is usually a ball valve or wheel handle where the water line enters the house, often in the basement or utility room. Turn it clockwise until it stops. Leave the street-side meter valve alone.
Drain the lines
Open the lowest faucet and flush a toilet once. This empties the pipes and drops the pressure feeding the leak.
Cut power to wet areas
If water reaches outlets, appliances or the electrical panel, do not touch them wet. Leave and call a licensed electrician for anything near wiring.
Move belongings and photograph
Lift furniture, rugs and boxes. Take photos of the damage for your insurer. Start mopping or pumping only after the water is off and the area is safe.
Water on a ceiling or wall
Stains that spread, a bulge in drywall or dripping from a light fixture point to a supply line inside the wall or floor above.
Hissing or rushing sound
With every tap closed, a steady hiss means water is escaping under pressure somewhere in the house.
No water or low pressure
A burst line or a broken supply valve can drop pressure suddenly. If water is off at one fixture but on at others, one branch failed.
Wet floor or soggy yard
Water seeping through the slab or pooling over the buried line points to a break outside the house.
Meter running with taps closed
The dial turns when no one uses water. The leak is real, even if it is not visible.
Frozen pipes: thaw safely or wait for the plumber
Water expands about 9 percent when it freezes, and a pipe splits where ice blocks it. The crack often shows up only after the thaw, when water starts running again. Pipes on exterior walls, in crawlspaces and in unheated garages freeze first.
If a faucet runs only a trickle in a hard freeze, open it and leave it open. Warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, never an open flame, and shut the main off if you spot a crack or a wet spot.
Safe to try yourself
- Open the faucet so melting ice can flow
- Warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer or warm towels
- Heat the room, open cabinet doors under sinks
- Shut the main off at the first sign of a leak
Call the plumber for
- A visible crack, bulge or spray
- Frozen pipe in a wall or under a slab
- No access to the frozen section
- Any case where you smell gas. Leave, call 911 and your gas utility
How deep frost reaches in Shelbyville
The City of Shelbyville lists a frost line depth of 30 inches in its building code design criteria. Buried water lines that sit below that depth are protected from ground frost, while shallow lines, exposed pipes and meter pits are not.
If your home had a line freeze, ask a plumber to check the burial depth of the service line, because a shallow run will freeze again in the next hard winter.
Source type: City of Shelbyville Building Codes page
How the plumber finds and fixes the break
Confirm the water is off
The plumber checks your main valve and, if it fails, the meter shutoff, so repairs happen on a dry pipe.
Trace the leak
Wall and ceiling leaks are found by moisture meter and thermal imaging. A buried leak is found by pressure gauge and acoustic listening on the line.
Cut out the damaged section
The split is cut back to sound pipe, usually a few inches either side, so the repair does not sit on weak material.
Replace with the right material
Copper with sweat or press fittings, PEX with crimp rings or push fittings, or CPVC for hot and cold runs. The plumber matches pipe to what is already in the house.
Pressure test and restore
The line is refilled, checked for leaks at pressure, and the plumber shows you which walls were opened so you can arrange drywall and drying.
Replacement pipe should carry its standard marking. Copper tube is made to ASTM B88, PEX tubing to ASTM F876 and CPVC hot and cold water pipe to ASTM D2846, and anything touching drinking water should be certified to NSF/ANSI 61. Ask the plumber to show you the markings on the pipe and fittings used before the wall is closed.
Water running right now?
Shut the main, then call the 24/7 line. A plumber is sent and dispatch stays with you if you need help finding the valve.
What kind of pipe burst, and why
| Pipe | How it usually fails | Repair approach |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | Splits lengthwise where ice formed, or pinholes from corrosion | Cut out and replace with copper or PEX |
| PEX | Stretches under freezing but can split at fittings | Replace the damaged section and its fittings |
| Galvanized steel | Rusts shut, then cracks at threads | Replace the run, see repiping |
| CPVC | Becomes brittle with age and cracks | Replace the section with matching pipe |
| Buried service line | Cracks at a fitting or where it crosses a sharp object | Excavate, repair or replace the line |
What drives the cost of burst pipe repair
Repair price depends on where the break sits and how much needs opening. The plumber gives you a clear price before work starts.
Homeowner insurance often covers sudden burst-pipe water damage but not the cost of the pipe itself or damage from a slow leak or a freeze you could have prevented. Ask your insurer, and photograph everything.
Keep it from happening again
- Insulate pipes in crawlspaces, garages and exterior walls with foam sleeves.
- Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard freeze.
- Open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls on cold nights.
- Know where your main valve is, and test that it turns before you need it.
- If you leave for a cold week, keep the heat on, and have someone check the house.
If the burst is part of a larger problem like failing old supply pipe, a leak detection visit finds the others before they fail. We also take calls from Morristown and the county.
Burst and frozen pipe questions from Shelbyville homes
Yes. The 24/7 line is staffed through nights, weekends and holidays. Dispatch talks you through the main shutoff while a licensed plumber is sent. Same-day appointments are offered when available, and you hear the price before work starts.
Usually where the water line enters the house, in a basement, utility room or crawlspace. Look near the water heater or the front foundation wall. If you cannot find it, dispatch will help locate it.
Open the faucet, warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, and watch for leaks. Never use an open flame or a torch. If the frozen section is in a wall or you see a crack, shut off the main and call.
Often for sudden damage, less so for the pipe itself or for neglect. Policies vary. Call your insurer, save photos, and do not throw out ruined materials until it is cleared.
Sometimes, through an access panel or from the other side of the wall. Often the drywall has to be cut to reach the split. The plumber explains before cutting.
A fixture leak shows at the fixture and stops when the local stop valve closes. A burst pipe keeps running with fixtures closed, so you shut the main.
Permit rules vary, so ask the building department. In the city, only registered plumbing contractors can pull plumbing permits, and homeowners must get one before working on their own home.