What to do if you have a BURST WATER PIPE
Richard Moyle - Plumbing since 1983
Burst Water Pipe
A burst water main or burst pipe may be something that has just happened or has been there for some time. A burst pipe may also be concealed or not obvious to the eye.
What to look for - One or more of the below.
Water leaking out of the bricks from behind the hose tap or at the base of a hose tap
Water leaking through the ceiling, wall or floor.
Wet carpet
Mould
Water dripping from a burst pipe under a vanity or kitchen sink
Green patch of grass in the yard
Water leaking through a crack in the concrete
Water bubbling up through the ground
Water meter box holding water, water around or near the meter box
Neighbour may have water pooling in their yard from a burst pipe in your yard.
Excess water bill from Council
This is a water inlet valve into the home.
Your home may or may not have one of these.
What to do when you have a burst pipe.
If you suspect that you may have a burst water main, we highly recommend that you isolate the water to your home which will stop the burst pipe from leaking, flooding your home or wasting valuable town water.
To isolate the water to your home there will be a mains isolation tap or valve somewhere, most likely at the water meter, or if you’re in a unit/townhouse, close to the entry of your unit.
Water meter box -Usually located out the front of the home on the footpath.
If your type of burst water main is not obvious, it may be a concealed burst water main, which will then need to be located.
If you suspect that you have a burst pipe, the Water Meter dial will be visibly moving.
What to do when your find a burst pipe.
Call your emergency plumber.
This short video shows the water meter dial moving at a home that has a water leak.
Whether your burst pipe is an obvious water leak or a concealed water leak, we strongly recommend you engage a professional plumber with the correct leak location equipment and tools, to attend and take care of your burst water pipe as soon as possible, to minimize an excess water bill.
How to turn off your water meter
Your plumber will attend and check fixtures inside of your home and ensure that there are no running taps, toilets or water in use throughout your home.
We recommend you that you carefully check all taps & toilets as even the slightest water leak will affect the lock down test which identifies if there is potentially a burst water main pipe.
Your plumber will do a lock down water meter test & inspect the inside & outside of your home along with a search of the grounds to see if there is any signs that will indicate a burst pipe. He will be looking for any obvious green grass patches, mud, water lying around, and water coming out of the concrete or bricks or even at the base of a retaining wall. These are all areas where burst pipes can be found.
Isolation valve to a unit or town house.
However, if you have concealed burst water main it may be difficult to identify. In this case electronic leak location may be required to find the leak or burst water main so that the burst pipe repair can be undertaken. Leak location equipment is especially effective when locating a burst water main or water leak under concrete, as this enables your plumber to cut & patch the smallest area (often as small as a shoe box) to undertake the burst pipe repair.
If the burst pipe is located outside of your home between the house and the water meter, the burst pipe repair is the owner’s responsibility & your plumber will attend & repair this burst pipe repair.
If your burst pipe is located on the council side of the water meter then the burst pipe repair may be the council’s responsibility.
The water to your home needs to be turned off & isolated while the burst pipe repair is undertaken.
How to repair your burst pipe.
Once the burst pipe is isolated, the repairs can be started.
Depending on the depth of the burst water main, your plumber may require machine excavation or he may be able to hand dig.
The burst water main section is cleared around the enable the repair to be done without debris getting into the burst pipe. Your plumber may need to cut out a section around the burst water main & relay a new section of water pipe.
Your burst pipe repair needs to be sand bedded to protect it from future ground movement & potential damage from stones & rocks within the soil. Your burst pipe repair can then be back filled & concreted if required.
Once the burst pipe repair is completed, the water can then be turned back on to your fixtures within the home. We recommend you flush the water main out from the front hose tap before turning on your water tap inside the home. This clears all air & residue grit that may have fallen into the water main before or during the burst pipe repair.
We recommend a water meter reading be taken at the time you first discover your burst pipe & again at the time of the burst pipe repair as some local councils will offer water relief.
If your plumber diagnoses a concealed water leak & the repairs of the concealed burst water main are carried out by a licenced plumber, your Council may offer a water relief. You can obtain the water relief form from your Councils web site.
If your emergency plumber cannot attend immediately, you may be able to turn this isolation mains water tap on & off to your burst water main at your home intermittently in case you need to shower, cook, wash and use the toilet if absolutely necessary. Remember that your toilet cistern stores water which allows you to have 1 -2 flushes before it is empty.
In some instances this is not possible if the burst pipe is substantial. No matter the circumstance with the burst pipe, you should call your plumber as soon as possible, so that the burst pipe repair can be attended to sooner rather than later.
If you suspect that you have a burst pipe,
‘Get Moyle’s to do it’
4 x easy steps on how to shut down your water meter
☎️ Ph: 0447 671 095
Moyle Plumbing & Gasfitting are your experienced, maintenance Plumbers on the Gold Coast, Brisbane Southside, Logan City or Ipswich.
Family owned & operated since 1983.
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Below are some photos of water leaks that we have repaired
