If your home or business floods, you have to think fast. It’s better to know what to do if your pipes burst or freeze before it happens. The first step is to call Project X Restoration in Denver. We’re available 24/7 and will immediately dispatch a team to help stop the flooding, mitigate the damages and restore your property. Of course, the best thing you can do is to prepare your pipes so they don’t burst or freeze.
Prepare Your Pipes
As you probably already know, water in your pipes can freeze when the weather gets very cold. This creates powerful pressure on the pipes and can cause them to break. Here are some ways to prepare your pipes and prevent them from bursting.
- Have your faucets repaired and replace the washers.
- Leave access doors or hatches slightly open to allow warmer air to circulate in the spaces beneath the roof.
- Wrap insulation around your water tank.
- Wrap thick insulation around your pipes.
- Make sure your outside hoses are disconnected and turned off at the inside water valve.
What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze
If you suspect frozen pipes in your home or business, first turn off the water supply in case they burst. You’ll also want to protect your possessions by moving them away from the area you’re investigating. And be sure to cover the electrical box to prevent any water from getting to it.
Now, it’s time to try and locate the frozen section or sections of pipe by checking the flow of water from your faucets and toilets. If the flow is very low or non-existent, then you may have a frozen pipe nearby. Feel the pipe to find the frozen area and check for bulges.
Once you’ve located the frozen section of the pipe, use a hair dryer or hot water bottle to thaw out the pipe. Don’t use a blowtorch because you may do more damage than good. Don’t forget to open the faucets near the frozen pipe, so when it melts it has somewhere to go.
What to Do if Your Pipes Burst
If the worst happens and your pipes burst, you should know what to do because the quicker you respond the fewer damages you will suffer and the sooner you can begin to restore your home or business. Here’s your action list to respond to a flood from frozen and broken pipes.
- You must turn off the water supply to avoid flooding. Everyone should know where the water turn off is at your home or business.
- Open all the cold water faucets and flush the toilets to drain the system of as much water as possible to avoid flooding.
- Turn off your heating system and drain the system by opening the hot water faucets.
- If there are any electrical boxes near the busted pipes, make sure you shut them down the main electrical box.
- If you can, scoop and remove excess water. Get out of the way if you see your ceilings bulging.
- Call your insurance office’s emergency helpline. They can help you begin the claims process and instruct you on how to get payment for your repairs.
- Take pictures and notes of the damage and the cause.
- Get the leak professionally repaired, keeping copies of the receipts and what was done.
Get prepared for what to do if your pipes burst or freeze, but if the unthinkable happens, don’t hesitate to call our experts at Project X Restoration in Denver. Remember, we’re here for you 24/7 and will help you through the entire process of restoring your property.