What To Do If A Pipe Bursts

A burst pipe puts out several gallons a minute, and in a Corpus Christi home on a slab that water has nowhere to go but across your floors. Here is what to do in the first ten minutes, in order, before the plumber arrives. Then call (361) 336-0647.

Step by step instructions to limit the damage

1. Shut off the main water valve. It is at the meter box near the street, or on the supply line where it enters the house, often near an outside faucet. Turn it clockwise until it stops. If you cannot find it, the meter box at the curb has a valve that a wrench or a screwdriver in the slot will close.

1. If the burst is on the hot side, also close the cold-water valve on top of the water heater and turn off the gas or the breaker so the tank does not run dry and damage itself.

1. Open a faucet at the lowest point in the house to drain the lines and take the pressure off the break.

1. Kill the electricity to any area where water is near outlets, appliances or the panel. Do not stand in water to do it; if the panel is in the wet area, leave it and tell the plumber.

1. Move furniture, rugs and boxes out of the water. Towels and a wet vacuum buy you time; a fan helps once the water is up.

1. Take photos of the damage before cleanup for your insurance claim.

1. Call (361) 336-0647. Say it is an active burst, where it is, and that the water is off. Active leaks are prioritised.

Why pipes burst in Corpus Christi

Freezes are the big one: the February 2021 freeze burst pipes across the Coastal Bend, mostly exposed lines in attics, garages, outside walls and under elevated homes on the island. Corrosion is the slow one: galvanized steel and old copper thin out until they split, and salt air speeds that up near the bay. Slab movement cracks lines under the floor, which shows up as a warm spot or a wet spot rather than a spray.

Before the next freeze

Cover outdoor faucets, open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, let a faucet drip overnight, insulate exposed attic and garage lines, and make sure everyone in the house knows where the main shut-off is. Ten minutes of prep beats a flooded living room.

Call (361) 336-0647 for burst pipe repair in Corpus Christi, Robstown, Port Aransas or Portland, any hour.