What to do when a pipe bursts

Every minute a burst pipe runs, more water soaks into drywall, flooring and cabinets. The single most important thing you can do is shut off the water to the house.

• Find the main shut-off valve. In many Florida homes it is outside, on the line between the water meter and the house, often near the front hose bib or where the pipe comes out of the ground. Some homes also have a valve inside the garage or near the water heater.
• Turn it clockwise ("righty-tighty") until it stops. A lever-style valve is closed when the handle sits across the pipe.
• If you cannot find it or it will not turn, the utility's shut-off at the meter box can be closed with a meter key. Many utilities ask customers to call them first, so check your water provider's rules.

If the leak is from a single fixture, such as a toilet supply line or the line under a sink, the small valve on the wall behind it may be enough.

Water and electricity are a dangerous combination. If water is near outlets, power strips, appliances or the electrical panel, or if the ceiling is sagging with water, stay out of the wet area.

• Turn off the breakers for the affected rooms if you can reach the panel while standing somewhere dry.
• If the panel itself is wet, or you would have to stand in water to reach it, do not touch it. Call the electric utility or an electrician.
• A ceiling bulging with water can come down without warning. Keep people and pets out from under it.
• Turn off the water heater: switch off the breaker for an electric heater, or set a gas heater to "pilot" or "vacation". A heater that runs with no water coming in can be damaged.

With the main off, there is still water sitting in the pipes. Open the cold taps at the lowest point in the house, such as a tub or an outside hose bib, and flush the toilets once. This drains the lines and lowers the pressure, so less water escapes from the break.

If the break is in a line you can see, put a bucket under it and wrap it with a towel. A rubber patch and hose clamp, or a repair sleeve from a hardware store, can slow a small split until a plumber arrives, but it is a stopgap, not a repair.

Once the water is off and the area is safe, limit the damage:

• Move furniture, rugs, electronics and boxes out of the wet area, or lift them onto blocks.
• Mop and wet-vac standing water. Soak up water trapped under furniture legs and along baseboards.
• Run fans and, if the power is safe, a dehumidifier. Open the windows only if it is drier outside than inside, which in a Florida summer is often not the case; air conditioning helps pull moisture out instead.
• Pull up wet area rugs and lift the edge of wet carpet so air can reach the pad.

Mold can begin to grow in damp materials within a day or two, so the faster everything dries, the better. For a large leak, or water inside walls and under flooring, a water damage restoration company has moisture meters and drying equipment that household fans cannot match.

Before you throw anything away, take photos and video of the water, the broken pipe, the damaged materials and anything that was ruined. Write down when you noticed the leak and what you did.

Then call your homeowners insurance company. Many policies cover sudden water damage, such as a pipe that bursts without warning, but not damage from a leak that went on for a long time. Policies differ, so ask your insurer what is covered and whether they want to send an adjuster before repairs start. Keep receipts for anything you spend on emergency drying or repairs, and save the broken section of pipe if the plumber removes it.

Freezing is rare across most of the state, so a burst pipe in Florida usually has a different cause:

• Old supply lines: braided or plastic lines to toilets, sinks, washing machines and water heaters wear out and are a common source of sudden leaks.
• Aging pipe materials: many homes built from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, which is known to fail, and older homes may still have galvanized steel that corrodes from the inside.
• High water pressure that puts constant strain on pipes and fittings.
• Slab leaks, where a pipe under the concrete floor wears through. Signs include a warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water when everything is off, or a water bill that jumps for no reason.
• Accidental damage from a nail, a drill or tree roots near the service line.

In north Florida, and during the occasional hard freeze further south, exposed pipes outside or in an unheated garage can still freeze and split.

When you call, an agent asks what happened, whether the water is off, and your ZIP code, then connects you with an independent plumber that serves your area. Have this ready if you can:

• Where the leak is and what kind of pipe or fixture it came from.
• Whether you were able to shut off the main.
• Photos of the break.
• Roughly how old the house is.

The plumber will usually find and repair the break, check for other weak spots, and tell you whether any other lines are at risk. Ask about the price before work starts, including any after-hours charge. There is no obligation to book.

Once the repair is done, a few habits make another burst less likely. Learn where the main shut-off is and make sure everyone in the house can turn it. Replace old supply lines under sinks and toilets and on the washing machine every several years. Ask a plumber to check the water pressure; a pressure-reducing valve can protect the whole system. If you are away for long stretches, as many seasonal residents are, turn off the main before you leave or install a leak detector or automatic shut-off valve.