A burst pipe is a water emergency causing serious damage to your a structure and its electrical wiring. It’s vital to take action as soon as possible.
Follow these directions to help:
1). Turn off the main?stopcock, you should find this under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe enters your home.
2). Then drain the system by turning on all your cold taps and flushing your toilets.
3). If water is in the vicinity of your electrics or electrical appliances, switch off the mains immediately. If the mains switch is wet, don’t touch it or you could risk electrocution.
4). Switch off the central heating, immersion heater and any other water heating systems. Once the water heating has shut down, turn on the hot taps to help drain the system. A professional service such as Charlton Plumber will give expert advice on all emergencies.
5). If you notice the leak quickly you can catch dripping water in buckets. However, if water has been leaking through for some time and the ceilings are bulging, rooms may not be safe to enter. If the ceiling is bulging and you’re confident that there is no danger, punch a small hole in it with a screwdriver to let the water drain.
6). If you’re at all unsure about fixing a burst pipe by yourself, call in an expert like a Charlton Plumber to repair the problem.
You should be able to prevent future burst pipes?by taking the following steps to stop your pipes from freezing again.
a). Stay on top of plumbing maintenance problems like dripping taps as these can freeze if the temperature drops.
b). On chilly days by open up the loft door.
c). Insulate water supply pipes.
d). Shut off the water supply pipe to your house and drain the pipes if you go away for a few days.
e). Place insulation in the loft.