What to Do in Case of a Burst Pipe in Winter

One of the worst things you can face in the wintertime as far as your home goes is busted pipes. Without enough insulation and protection, your pipes can freeze and burst when temperatures dip below freezing. 

If a pipe bursts in your home, you have to act fast to reduce the amount of damage. This includes calling our team to schedule an appointment with an emergency plumber in Layton. You can keep reading to learn more about the steps you need to take if a pipe freezes and bursts in your home during the winter season.

Turn Off the Water

Your first step should be to turn off the supply of water leading into your home. All homes have an emergency shut-off valve for this exact reason. Otherwise, water would continue flowing into your pipes until the problem is fixed. That could cause lots of damage. One burst pipe is bad enough without hours and days of additional damage and water use running up your bill.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Next, you should contact your insurance company. Review your policy and find out what is covered for frozen pipes that burst in the wintertime and any associated water damage to your home. It is a good idea to get the ball rolling with your insurance company as soon as possible so that you have an active claim. You can know what your next steps are for substantiating your claim and getting reimbursed for the damage.

Schedule an Appointment

Now it’s time for you to schedule a service appointment. Our team can assess the damage and outline the repairs that need to be made. Aside from assessing the obvious damage, we can also take a look at your plumbing as a whole to make sure there are no additional frozen or burst pipes.

We can even make recommendations that can help you prevent this from happening again in the future. For example, if you have exposed pipes outdoors, we may recommend that you install some additional insulation around them to protect them from freezing temperatures.

Clean Up

Once you’ve done everything you can to get moving on a repair, we encourage you to clean up the best you can. Allowing water to stand wherever it leaks out can cause additional damage to your home. Floors may loosen up, wood can become warped, and even worse, mold will begin to develop.

If possible, you can use a wet-dry vacuum or a mop and towels to clean up as much of the water as you can. You may also place some fans in the area to help eliminate moisture. If you have any questions about what to do during your clean-up, you can ask us when you schedule your service call. We would be happy to provide you with some tips on the best way to clean up.

Contact your HVAC and plumbing experts at Rentmeister Total Home Service today! Schedule an appointment for plumbing service with confidence.