What to do when your pipes burst in Sparrows Point, Maryland

12/14/2021 (Permalink)

Broken water pipes rank second only to hurricanes in terms of both frequency and severity in regards to annual claims resulting from water damage. Reduce your damage costs by calling SERVPRO of Sparrows Point/Essex/Chase, then decrease the amount of water than can leak from a burst pipe by following these steps below..

Turn off your water main.

Completely switch off your water supply. If you think the water from the pipe burst may have reached any of the electrical sockets or the fuse box, turn off the electricity, too.

You can usually find your main water shut-off valve somewhere in your home. Check your basement, crawl spaces, and areas close to the water heater. If it’s not inside, you can usually find it under a metal lid on your property close to the street.

Here is a complete guide to finding your water shut off valve, written by Flo Technologies:

Drain the faucets — cold taps first.

Once the water supply has been turned off, drain all of the water out of your house’s water system. This will reduce the chance of any remaining water freezing over and relieve pressure buildup in your water pipes.

• Open your faucets to drain the remaining cold water from the system.
• Flush all toilets multiples times

Turn off heat and drain your hot taps.

Now shut off your water boiler and heating system and release all the water from your hot taps.

Let the warm air in.

If your pipe burst or froze from cold weather, let some warm air in by

• Turn the heat back on and hike up thermostat
• Use a hair dryer on the pipe that is burst after it is drained completely.
• Open-up the cabinet doors where they live to let the warm air circulate.

Call SERVPRO of Sparrows Point/Essex/Chase to clean up, document, restore and protect your house from mold.

SERVPRO of Sparrows Point/Essex/Chase (443-231-6179), or your local SERVPRO (1-800-SERVPRO) if you don’t reside in our service area, will clean up the mess, document the damage, treat your home for potential mold growth and restore your home to pre-flooded conditions. We are accepted by all insurance companies and have a 4.5 star average customer rating!

 What to do until SERVPRO of Sparrows Point/Essex/Chase Arrives

•  Mop up excess water as best as you are able, to prevent slips and falls until help arrives.
• Keep children, elderly, and pets out of the affected area.
• Do not throw anything away, take pictures of damaged items.
• Contact your insurance company to see you are eligible for coverage and file a claim.