Handling a Burst Water Pipe in Your Plumbing System

Main Valve Shutoff

The first step in any significant plumbing emergency where water damage or flooding is a concern: Shutting off your home's main water valve, which is the primary source of water flow to your system. The main valve will often be found in the basement, though it's sometimes under the kitchen sink or in another location as a homeowner, you should know where your main water shutoff valve is in case of events like these.

And before you do anything else, including calling our plumbers, you should head to this valve and turn it off. This will stop the flow of further water through the burst pipe area, and will limit the damage while you wait for our team to arrive.

Calling a Plumber

The precise timing with which you call our plumbers for emergency plumbing assistance may vary somewhat you may take a few of the other steps we'll go over here before you do so, depending on the extent of the damage and other factors. At some point here, however, you should be contacting our team for emergency assistance.

If you're inexperienced dealing with these kinds of issues, it pays to make this call sooner rather than later often immediately after you've turned of your main shutoff valve. This is because once you've called us, our plumbers can give you tips and expertise to follow from over the phone, helping you with a few basic actions while you wait for our team to arrive in-person. We'll make sure you avoid any mistakes while taking proper action to slow the extent of any damage taking place.

Pipe Draining

The next step to perform after main valve shutoff, whether on your own or with the assistance of our arriving plumbers, is to drain the various pipes of any water that's remaining in them. You should move through the home and flush every toilet that's present, which will remove all the water from these pipes (the toilets will not refill if your main water valve has already been turned off, as it should have). In addition, run the cold-water side of every faucet in your home until they're dry. These basic steps will limit the amounts of water that reach the burst pipe area and risk water damage.

Other Turnoffs

A couple other important home components should also be turned off during this process:

• Water heater: Not only should you turn off the power to your water heater during this situation, you should also go back afterward and run the hot water side of your faucets and showers until they're dry. This serves the same purpose as above: Removing any additional water that may run through the burst pipe area before it does so.

• Electricity: If there is any standing water whatsoever taking place as a result of your burst pipe, or especially if there's a risk of any water contacting your electrical outlets or fuse box, you should be heading to your main circuit breaker and (carefully) turning off electricity to the home until the issue is resolved.

Documenting and Cleaning

And finally, it's time to get to work documenting the issue and repairing it. For smaller cracks that have formed, we may be able to use commercial tape or a chemical bonding agent for quality repairs; for more significant damage, we may have to replace certain pipe sections.

In either case, documenting the damage and repairs done is important. This will allow any future homeowners or plumbers to have proper information, for one, and will also give you a reference in the future. In addition, it's important to consider professional water damage remediation, including prevention of mold and mildew formation, if significant leaking took place.

https://mybuddytheplumber.com/blog/handling-a-burst-water-pipe-in-your-plumbing-system/

Common Water Heater Issues and What You Should Do

What Type of Water Heater Do You Have?

Before we begin it’s first important that you identify the type of water heater you have on your property. There are two main types of water heaters out there: conventional and high efficiency.

Both of these types of products typically use either gas or electricity to heat power. There are also solar water heaters that use a thermal collector on the roof or yard to heat the water.

While these models are not as common, they can cut heating costs in half. In this article, we will focus on conventional and high efficiency.

How Do My Electric and Gas Water Heater Work?

Though they look similar, electric and gas water heaters work very differently. It’s important to know their basic function because often problems can be specific to the heating source.

In the electric model, a thermostat on the side of the machine detects the temperature of the water in the tank. When the temperature needs to rise electricity flows to a heating element suspended in the water.

Gas models also use a thermostat device — typically with a mercury sensor at the tip and an additional sensor called a thermocouple. The thermocouple detects whether the pilot light is on and controls the flow of gas.

When the thermostat drops below the appropriate level gas is released which becomes ignited by the pilot light. The flame heats the bottom of the water tank which causes hot water to rise and cold water to drop.

This natural circulation continues until the water reaches the desired temperature. Then, the thermostat triggers the gas control valve to shut off the flow of gas.

What Are the Most Common Issues and How Do You Fix Them?

n this section, we’ll go over some of the more common problems that people deal with when their water heater starts acting up. Keep in mind that some problems, like a broken pilot light, are specific to gas water heaters.

Also, remember that the best defense against water heater issues is regular maintenance. Check out some of these great tips for improving the lifespan of your water heater.

Not Enough Hot Water

This problem is common if you live in an apartment or a house with a lot of people. Too many people use the hot water supply in the tank and the machine struggles to produce more in a timely fashion.

There’s a variety of solutions to this problem, but an easy method is simply to adjust the temperature dial on your heater and wait thirty minutes.

If you have an electrical water heater, then a power surge caused by the device may cause the circuits to trip.

You should contact an electrician quickly if this issue keeps happening — it means wiring issues are causing the machine to draw more power than it needs. You may also want to try draining your water heater.

The process of draining removes the hard water sediments that cause your machine to run less efficiently. If you want a full walk-through of how to drain water your water heater tank, then make sure to read our article before you begin.

If none of these solutions fix the problem, then the issue likely lies in a malfunction component — likely a pressure relief valve or heating element.

Changing Water Temperatures

Often it’s a joke that some showers have two temperatures: scolding hot and ice cold. Unfortunately, this common feature can be a symptom of a bigger problem.

If you notice this temperature change when you shower or do the dishes, then you should check the thermostat on the side of your water heater. First, make sure it’s set to your desired temperature.

If it still exhibits drastic temperature changes, then you may need to replace the thermostat or the heating unit inside the product. The problem may also lie in the size of the product. Remember that tanks should hold roughly 20 gallons of water per person living in the house.

A Leak in the Water Heater

A water heater leak can cause serious water damage to the floor and electrical components near the device. Remember that you should always turn off the gas or electricity and let the device cool down before inspecting for a problem.

You may be able to fix the leak by tightening screw and pipe connections as these are common causes of minor leaks. However, if you notice a substantial leak at the base of the water heater, then you should contact a technician to inspect and replace it.

Rumbling Sounds

Rumbling sounds are a sign of a serious water heater issue. Unusual sounds may come from burning sediments or malfunction heating components. If you think you hear your heater boiling, then you should turn it off immediately.

This symptom is a sign of building pressure in your tank which could cause it to explode. You can likely solve this problem by draining your tank and clearing out any sediments. However, if the problem persists you may want to call a professional.

Rusty or Smelly Water

If your water smells then there is likely rust or bacteria in your water tank. These problems can cause orange discoloration and a smell like rotten eggs. However, you should first make sure that your tank is the issue and not the water source itself.

Run cold water and see if the smell persists. If the smell only comes from hot water, then the problem is the water heater. If not, then it’s the water source. If the problem comes from your tank, then it’s likely a malfunctioning anode rod.

An anode rod is responsible for cleaning any bacteria from the tank, so this is the most likely symptom. Unfortunately, changing an anode rod requires extensive knowledge of the system. As such, you will likely need the help of a professional.

Poor Water Flow

Changes in the water pressure that comes out of your shower or sink is likely a sign of sediment buildup at the bottom. Follow our previous advice — drain the tank and flush out any of the sediments.

If the problem persists, then you’ll need to check the pipes around your device. Hire a professional plumber to clean or replace the pipes around the water heater.

No Pilot Light

Gas water heaters require a pilot light to ignite the gas that warms the water. If your pilot light is out, then try reigniting it by repeatedly switching the ignitor switch. If your pilot light continues to go out, then it’s a symptom of a larger problem.

You can first try cleaning it — sometimes dirt or grime can buildup and snuff out the spark.

However, the problem can also cause things like malfunctioning thermostats, broken gas valves, or air in the gas line. First, try cleaning it and if it still goes out, then troubleshoot the various parts and replace whichever one malfunction.

https://happyhiller.com/blog/common-water-heater-issues-and-what-you-should-do/

COMMON PROBLEMS THAT REQUIRE EMERGENCY PLUMBING

Large Water Leak

Often, a water leak will be small enough that you can place a bucket underneath it for the night. However, if the leak is so large that a bucket won’t contain all the water, you should call an emergency plumbing service.

Gas Leak

If your gas line is leaking, this needs to be addressed immediately. Gas leaks are extremely dangerous because inhaling the gas can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. The gas can also cause a fire or explosion. If you notice a natural gas smell, everyone in the building should evacuate at once. Afterward, you should call the gas company and then your plumber for emergency repair.

Sewer Backup

If there’s a rotten egg odor in the building, your sewer line may be clogged. You’ll likely want to remedy this issue as soon as you can or else you’ll have to tolerate the awful stench for who knows how long.

Deteriorating Water Heater

One sign that your water heater is on its last legs is that the running water in the building is brown. This means part of the water heater is rusting. You’ll want to call for emergency plumbing, so you can have clear drinking water again.

https://eastatlanticplumbing.net/plumbing-services-blog/common-problems-that-require-emergency-plumbing/