Burst Pipe or Major Leak in Elyria: What to Do First
Close the water off, keep people away from wet electrics, then arrange the repair.
A split supply pipe keeps pushing water out for as long as the main valve is open, and the water does not stay put. It runs along joists, soaks through ceilings and collects in the basement, so the first few minutes decide how much ends up wet.
The order matters: stop the water, protect people from electricity, then see to the damage. None of the first steps needs tools beyond a flashlight, and none of them means touching the broken pipe.
Two situations come before everything else. If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility from outside. If water has reached the electrical panel or live outlets, keep everyone out of the water.
Do This Now: Shut the Water Off and Drain the Lines
- Close the main shutoff. It is usually where the water line comes through the basement wall nearest the street, beside the water meter. Turn a round handle clockwise until it stops, or turn a lever handle a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe.
- Turn off the water heater. For an electric heater, switch off its breaker, but only from a dry floor. For a gas heater, turn the control knob to Pilot or Vacation.
- Open taps to drain the lines. Open the cold tap at the lowest point in the house, such as a basement laundry sink, and one upstairs to let air in. The water left in the pipes then runs out through a drain instead of through the break.
- Move valuables and electrics away from the water. Lift rugs, boxes, electronics and furniture out of the wet area. Unplug cords only when you stand on a dry floor with dry hands. If water has reached outlets, a power strip or the panel, keep out of it.
- Photograph the damage. Take photos and a short video of the break, the wet ceilings and floors, and damaged belongings before the cleanup starts. An insurer may ask for them, and they help explain the leak later.
With the water stopped and the area safe, call (440) 581-1393. Say where the water came from, what you closed, and whether it reached ceilings, walls or electrics.
Safe Steps for Leaks, Backups, Gas and No Water
Each sign calls for different first steps. A ceiling stain needs a bucket and a look upstairs. Sewage means no water use anywhere in the house until the line is cleared. A gas smell means leaving the house before anything else.
Emergency Steps by Sign
Pick what you see and press “Show the Steps”.
Frozen Pipes, Temporary Patches and Wet Electrics
How do I thaw a frozen pipe safely?
Open the faucet the pipe feeds first, so melting ice has somewhere to go and pressure cannot build. Then warm the pipe slowly, starting near the faucet and working back toward the frozen spot, with a hair dryer, a heating pad or towels soaked in hot water.
Never use a torch or any open flame. It can scorch the framing, start a fire inside the wall, or heat the pipe unevenly until it splits. If the frozen section is inside a wall, you cannot find it, or the faucet stays dry, close the main shutoff and call. A pipe that froze may already have cracked, and it will leak as soon as it thaws.
A pipe has already burst and the water is off. What should happen next?
Leave the main shutoff closed until the pipe is repaired. Turning it back on to check usually just restarts the leak. Keep the heat on in the house so the other pipes do not freeze while the water is off.
Start drying right away: mop up standing water, move wet things out, open cabinet doors, and run fans once the electrics in that area are safe. Mold can start within a day or two in wet drywall, carpet pad and insulation, and ceiling drywall that sags or stays soft usually has to come out. A pipe repair replaces the split section, and with frozen pipe the rest of the run is worth checking for more splits.
Can I patch a split pipe until it is repaired?
Sometimes, for a small split in a straight, exposed run. A pipe repair clamp, or a rubber patch held tight with hose clamps, can slow a leak enough to turn the water back on for a short time. Ordinary tape will not hold against full water pressure.
Treat any patch as temporary and keep an eye on it. Do not patch a pipe inside a wall, a split at a fitting, or old galvanized pipe that crumbles when a clamp is tightened. In those cases keep the main shutoff closed until the section is replaced.
Water has reached outlets or the electrical panel. What should I do?
Keep everyone out of the water, and do not touch anything electrical while standing in it or with wet hands. If you can reach the electrical panel from a dry floor, switch off the main breaker or the breakers for the wet area. If the panel is wet, or standing water lies between you and it, stay away and call 911.
Leave the power to the wet area off until an electrician has checked the outlets, fixtures and panel. An outlet that looks dry can still hold water behind its cover plate.
More Leak Situations and Who to Contact
Some leaks need a different first move, and some are not a plumber’s call at all.
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The main shutoff will not turn, or will not stop the water
- Do now
- Look for a second valve on the other side of the water meter and close that one.
- Do not
- Force a stuck valve with a long wrench or a hammer. An old valve can snap and make the leak worse.
- Who to contact
- The city water department, which can close the valve at the curb
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Water leaking at the meter, or a wet patch in the yard over the water line
- Do now
- Close the main shutoff inside the house and watch whether the leak slows.
- Do not
- Dig near the water line or take the meter apart.
- Who to contact
- The city water department first: it can say which part of the line is the owner’s to repair
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The water heater is leaking from the tank
- Do now
- Switch the heater off and close the cold-water valve on the pipe above it.
- Do not
- Open the relief valve or drain the tank while the water inside is still hot.
- Who to contact
- A plumber, to replace the heater
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A toilet is overflowing
- Do now
- Lift the tank lid and press the flapper down, then turn the valve behind the toilet clockwise until it stops.
- Do not
- Flush again to see whether it clears.
- Who to contact
- A plumber, if the bowl will not empty or other drains back up
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A washing machine hose has split
- Do now
- Close the two valves behind the washer. Unplug it only while standing on a dry floor.
- Do not
- Run the machine again until both hoses are replaced.
- Who to contact
- A plumber, if the washer valves will not close or leak themselves
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Water has soaked floors, walls or a finished basement
- Do now
- Photograph everything, move belongings out, and start drying once the power in that area is safe.
- Do not
- Throw out damaged items before they are photographed, or paint over wet drywall.
- Who to contact
- Your insurer, and a water damage cleanup company for large areas
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A leak in a rented home or apartment
- Do now
- Close the valve under the fixture or the unit’s shutoff, and warn the unit below if water is going through the floor.
- Do not
- Leave it unreported because it seems small.
- Who to contact
- The landlord or property manager first
Repairing a Burst Pipe After the Water Is Off
The repair starts with finding every break. Frozen pipes often split in more than one place, and not always where the ice formed, so the whole run that froze is worth checking before any wall is closed up.
The damaged section is cut out and replaced with new pipe and fittings, usually copper or PEX. A pipe inside a finished wall or ceiling needs an opening large enough to work through and to let the cavity dry.
Burst pipes cluster where pipe runs through cold spaces: an outside wall, a crawlspace, a garage ceiling, an unheated porch. Insulating that section during the repair, or moving it to a warm wall, helps keep the same spot from freezing in the next lake-effect cold snap.
Once the water is stopped and the area is safe, the repair can also be booked through Schedule Service.