First, stop the water and keep people safe
- Is water still coming out right now? If yes, the main shutoff comes before anything else.
- Do you know where the main shutoff is? It is usually where the water line comes into the house, near the meter, in a basement, crawlspace, garage or utility closet.
- Is water near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel? If yes: stay out of the water and away from the panel. If anyone feels unsafe, leave and call 911.
- Is water coming through a ceiling? Keep people out from under it, it can come down.
Frozen or burst: the quick checks
- Did the water stop at one or more taps, with no water showing anywhere? That points to a frozen pipe that has not split yet.
- Is there water on a floor, wall or ceiling? That points to a burst, even if the water is now off.
- Where is the pipe: an outside wall, an attic, a crawlspace, a garage, or under a sink on an outside wall?
- Can you see frost on a pipe, or a bulge or crack in it? A photo helps the plumber more than a description.
- For a frozen pipe that has not split: open the tap it feeds, and keep heat off it except warm room air. No open flame, ever.
What the plumber needs to know
- Whether the main is off, and whether it closed all the way.
- Where the break or freeze is, and whether it is behind a wall or ceiling.
- The pipe material if they know it: copper, PEX, CPVC or galvanized.
- Whether the water heater is affected, and whether anyone shut off its power or gas supply.
- Photos of the pipe, the shutoff and any damage.
How it sounds on the phone
Before I book anything, is water still running? I will walk you to your main shutoff right now.
What is the address?
Please stay out of any water that is near outlets or the panel. Your safety comes before the floor.
Can you go grab a towel and look at it?
The water is off and it looks like a split pipe in the crawlspace, so I am sending a plumber who will know that before they arrive.
Someone will call you back.
The three ways this goes wrong
- Booking the visit while the water runs. The shutoff comes first, every time.
- Letting the homeowner wade into water near electrics. Safety first, then the pipe.
- Suggesting a torch or an open flame to thaw a pipe. Warm room air only, and the plumber does the rest.
A burst pipe call is water off, people safe, then frozen or burst, then the details. Ask in that order, and the damage stops sooner, the homeowner stays safe, and the plumber arrives knowing what to bring.
I answer the phones for plumbing contractors, and on every burst pipe call I help find the shutoff before I book the visit. callbobai.com