What to do when your water pipe bursts?

by | Jan 28, 2010 | 2, 3, 4, Articles

<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">What to do when your water pipe bursts?</font></h2><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">Everyone always wants to tell you what to do to prevent your pipes from bursting, but sometimes it just happens. Let’s take a look at what to do when the pipe bursts, and how to repair it without dropping tons of cash on a plumber.</span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>1) Shut off the water!</strong> – It should go without saying, but if a pipe bursts in your house, you’re going to want to shut down your water. Head to the water main and turn it off, and give the pipe some time to drain out before attempting to fix the burst.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>2) Locate the burst</strong> – This should be the easiest part. Find the source that’s turning your room into a water park, and inspect the damage. Is it a small break? If so, you may be able to patch it for a while, to keep your costs down. Another thing to consider: what pipe has burst? If it’s a main water pipe, regardless of the nature of the burst, you’re going to want to take more care in repairing it, as it’s a main water highway going through your home.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/4a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/4a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>3) Set about repairing the burst pipe -</strong> If it’s a small burst or crack in a non-main pipe, here’s an easy repair solution: cut a length of garden hose, more than enough to cover the damaged area, and split it open. Take the hose, and clamp it over the pipe using hose clamps or something similar. Make sure it’s tight! Turn the water on again, and test the pipe to see if you’re still losing water. If not, hooray! You fixed the leak.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">For a more advanced crack, locate the problem point and, using a hacksaw, cut the portion of burst pipe out. Replace it with a new piece by placing it along the pipe spacing and seal tightly, but not too tight! Tightening a compression nut too much can cause ovaling, resulting in more leakage. If your compression nut ovals, simply replace. After you complete this step, test your water. You should be all set.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>NOTE:</strong> You should not use pipe joint compounding or Teflon tape when repairing a burst pipe using compression nuts. Thought it seem like the right thing to do, these products actually serve to create a tiny gap in the fitting, leaving you with leakage all over again. These products are mainly for use on other types of fittings that are prone to leaks; the compression nut is built to stop leaking.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Congratulations! <strong>You just saved yourself a lot of money</strong>, and got some good DIY experience under your belt. Now go flush all the toilets in the house to celebrate!</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/4b.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/4b.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>About the Author</strong></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Right Way Contracting and Restoration Services is a leading nationwide water damage restoration company specializing in 24/7 emergency service <a href="http://www.rightwaycontracting.com/water-damage-restoration.php" target="_blank">water damage restoration florida</a>, <a href="http://www.rightwaycontracting.com/" target="_blank">water damage repair atlanta</a>, mold remediation, flood damage repair, document drying, fire and smoke damage restoration and crime scene clean up.</p>  <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/what-to-do-when-your-water-pipe-bursts-1001498.html" target="_blank">http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/what-to-do-when-your-water-pipe-bursts-1001498.html</a> </span></p></span>