A burst pipe in the bathroom: it’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare. And as cold weather draws near, it becomes increasingly likely.
When water freezes in a pipe – such as a toilet pipe – it expands with shocking force – sometimes reaching pressures of up to 40 lbs per square inch. Not surprisingly, this can wreak havoc on your pipes, causing a leaking pipe that damages your flooring, cabinets, finishes, and more.
While dealing with a burst pipe requires the help of a skilled emergency plumbing leak cleanup company, there are some proactive things you can do before they arrive to reduce water damage and prevent future leaks.
Key Takeaways
- Freezing weather, high water pressure, and old plumbing can all cause pipes to burst – creating widespread and expensive water damage.
- To deal with a burst pipe in the bathroom, turn off the water main, drain your faucets, dry the area, and clean up the standing water.
- In most cases, you’ll need to contact a plumber to repair the burst pipe and prevent the problem from happening again.
- We also recommend working with a skilled restoration company like ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba for remediation assistance you can trust.
4 Steps to Deal with a Burst Pipe in the Bathroom
When it comes to a broken pipe, you can’t restore the space on your own. You can, however, start some of the water damage cleanup. Here are four steps we recommend our customers take before their remediation company arrives:
1. Turn off the Water Main
First things first, prevent further leaks by turning off the water main. The location of the water main shutoff valve varies, but it’s usually in the basement, water heater closet, or – rarely – the crawl space.
2. Drain the Faucets
To prevent the water pipe from continuing to leak, drain all your household’s faucets – starting with the cold taps. This will reduce the likelihood of leftover water freezing in your pipes and making the problem worse.
It also reduces pressure in the pipes to minimize the chance of another burst. Don’t forget to flush the home’s toilets several times, as well. Finally, shut off your home’s water boiler and drain the hot taps.
3. Open the Cabinet Doors
When you have a pipe burst under the bathroom sink, warmth is a critical part of the remediation process. Even though the bathroom is in your heated home, a closed cabinet door can prevent the flow of warm air.
With this in mind, open the cabinet doors to let the warm air from the house circulate. You can also use a hairdryer, set to low, to thaw frozen pipes gradually.
4. Clean up the Water
If there’s water on your floors or under your cabinets after a water leak, sop up the mess before the restoration team arrives. This helps prevent mold and mildew and gives the restoration team a clean workspace.
How to Fix a Burst Bathroom Pipe
If you’ve had a pipe burst under the bathroom floor, behind the toilet, or any other place in your bathroom, you’ll likely need a plumber and a restoration company to clean up the water damage. This is also true for a burst pipe in the bathroom wall.
A water damage restoration company will also be able to offer comprehensive mold removal, and help you with follow-up steps, like filing an insurance claim.
When the restoration team arrives, here are the steps they’ll take to resolve your water leak:
1. Identify the Source of the Leak
The team will take a look at your pipes to identify, fix, and cleanup the source of your plumbing problem. If the pipe has ruptured or requires a complicated replacement, the team will bring in a certified plumber to assist in the repair.
2. Extract Water
While you’ve probably mopped up the puddles by now, there’s likely much more water hiding in your carpets, subfloor, and more. The remediation team will use heavy-duty extraction equipment to remove all standing water, even in hard-to-reach places like behind a wall. This is an essential part of the process and serves to minimize mold and bacteria growth and keep your home healthy.
3. Evaluate Nearby Pipes
Once the water extraction process is finished, the remediation team will check all the pipes adjacent to the original leak, as they’re also at risk of failure. This comprehensive evaluation allows you to rest easy, knowing you’re not going to face another leak as soon as the remediation company leaves.
4. Restore, Dry and Reconstruct
Next, the team will use specialized techniques to dry out damaged areas and start restoring and reconstructing your property (if necessary).
Most teams (like ours) are made up of licensed contractors who can take the necessary steps to rebuild your property and restore it to its original condition.
Who to Call First for Burst Pipes
If you have a burst pipe in the bathroom in Chicago, IL or the suburbs, our team is here for you. Offering 50+ years of combined restoration experience and rapid response time (guaranteed in under 90 minutes), our team will manage your claims and help you get your life and your household back to normal.
Give us a call right now for 24 hour emergency help with bathroom burst pipe water damage: 773-647-1985
The most common cause is when leftover water freezes in the pipes.
It depends on your policy. In most cases, Homeowners insurance won’t cover water damage from floods, sewage backup, or slow leaks, but will cover you in the event of a burst pipe.
The most common signs of a burst pipe are water pooling under your cabinets or on the floor, standing water, strange sounds, and increased water bills.