What Should You Do About a Burst Copper Pipe?
Shut off the main water valve first, since a split copper pipe keeps flowing until the water is off. Stay clear of wet outlets and hot water, lift belongings off the floor and take photos. Then call a plumber for the pipe and a water damage crew to pump out and dry the house.
In the First Five Minutes
The valve comes first. Find the main shutoff, usually near the water meter or where the supply pipe enters the house, and turn it fully closed.
Then open the lowest faucet so the pipes drain and the pressure drops. Water stops pouring from the split and the damage stops growing.
If the valve will not close, call the water utility, which can shut the supply at the meter or the street. A valve that fails is worth mentioning to the plumber as well.
- Close the main water valve.
- Open the lowest faucet to drain the pipes.
- If a hot supply pipe split, shut the water heater's cold inlet and cut its power or gas.
- Note the time you found the water.
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Staying Safe Around Power and Hot Water
Water and electricity do not mix. Stay out of any room where water reaches outlets, cords or appliances, and switch off breakers only if the panel is dry and reachable without wading.
A split in a hot supply pipe can scald, and the steam fills the room. Keep children and pets away from puddles and from the pipe itself until the water has cooled.
- Do not wade toward a panel or outlet.
- Do not touch a steaming or hot pipe.
- Keep children and pets out of the water.
- Watch for a sagging ceiling and stay out from under it.
Who to Call and What to Say
Call both trades. The plumber cuts out the damaged copper and puts in new pipe. A water damage crew pumps out the water, finds the wet materials and dries the structure.
Tell the crew where the water started, whether the valve is closed, which rooms are wet and whether the split is on a hot or cold pipe. Those details decide the equipment that comes.
Keep the plumber's invoice and the cause noted on it. The insurer will want it, and so will the crew when the drying records are finalized.
- Plumber: stops the leak at the pipe.
- Water damage crew: extraction, tear-out and drying.
- Your insurer: report the loss and get a claim number.
What Not to Do
Do not run a household vacuum on standing water, and do not use electronics while standing in a wet room. Do not throw out damaged items before you photograph them.
Waiting until morning is the costliest mistake. Water wicks up drywall and into flooring by the hour, and mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours.
Take a few minutes to learn where the main shutoff is before any emergency. Label it, and make sure everyone in the house can find it in the dark.
- Do not wait to shut the water off.
- Do not touch live power with wet hands.
- Do not discard damaged items before photos.
- Do not close up a wet wall.
Call to start the dry-out (888) 373-8814
More Burst Pipe Questions
What Should You Do About a Burst Copper Pipe: More Answers
Where is the main water shutoff?
Often near the water meter or where the supply pipe enters the house, in a basement, garage, utility closet or crawl space. Learn its location before you need it.
Should I call the plumber or the cleanup crew first?
Close the main valve, then call both. The plumber fixes the pipe, and the crew pumps out the water and dries the structure.
Can I keep using the other water in the house?
Not until the pipe is fixed. With the main valve closed, the whole house is without water, and the plumber decides when it is safe to turn it back on.
Is it safe to stay in the house?
Often yes, in the dry rooms. Stay out of wet areas with power, steam or a sagging ceiling, and ask the crew which rooms are safe.
What if the burst happens while I am away from home?
Have someone you trust close the main valve if they can reach it safely, and call a crew to the address. When you return, photograph every room before you move anything.
Water damage gets worse by the hour. Call now to get burst copper pipe cleanup started, 24/7.