What To Do In Case Of Burst Hot Water Pipes?

A burst of hot water pipe can pose serious damages to your house, your belongings along with your health as well as that of others in your home anytime if you don’t clean the mess. Burst water pipes, as you know, are one of the commonest problems to affect home and public areas. Pipes are responsible for transporting water, but intense pressure, decaying and at times also the high temperature causes them to burst. Know about what you should do in case of burst hot water pipes in your home.

Burst Hot Water Pipes

Stop The Flow Of Water

First, you must turn the water flow off if you doubt that a pipe is broken – even if you cannot find out the source of the water. You can check the water main to find the stop tap. Typically, it is there beneath the kitchen sink. Or you can locate it at the joint point between the main service pipe and your home. It is important to make every member in your family aware of shutting the stopcock in order to avoid emergencies.

After turning off the main water switch, the hot water pipes have to be drained. This can be done by running cold water or each faucet. Make sure that you flush every toilet a minimum of once. Shut the hot water heater off. After you turn off the hot water system, return to every faucet. Run the accumulated hot water in order to drain the supply. The leaking should stop once there is no tap water running any more.

Inspect The Damage In The Broken Pipe

You must spot the burst area of the hot water pipes and drain all the excess amount of water. Check the extent of damage and consider the location of the pipe prior to getting a replacement from the local home improvement store. Irrespective of the breaking size or the damage, a big water pipe should take more effort and time to replace as it contains more water and directs to more connections than a single pipe beneath the bathroom sink.

In case the break is small, you might get it patched and avoid more damage as well as save on expenses. However, if you use a chemical bonding agent or commercial tape, you must take care of that repaired spot – given that it can burst later - taking you right back to square one.

Burst Hot Water

Fix The Burst Pipe

Generally, it is quite straightforward to repair a crack or rupture in non-main hot water pipes. However, it can be a costly fix based on which material you choose for mending. You can try an inexpensive fix at home.

• Get an ordinary garden hose in an extra-long size, along with 2 – 3 hose clamps or same types of grips that offer very high constriction.
• Measure the crack or fissure.
• Cut the hose around 10 inches more in length than necessary, for filling up the broken space.
• Slice the hose to make it easy to slip it over the burst or cracked section in the hot water pipes. You can use brackets or hose clamps to hold the part of the hose over the busted section. Compress it as tightly as it goes.
• Turn on the water to test the repair.

In case of a larger break, cut the busted hot water pipes section away with a hacksaw. Make sure that you cut around 1 inch larger on each side of the rupture. Use sealant and pipe spacers to substitute the missing pipe section but avoid tightening it too tightly. Otherwise, it can result in further leaking.