Burst pipe: what to do in the first 10 minutes

Minute 0 to 2: where is the shutoff, and how do you close it?

Every second the water runs adds to the cleanup, so go straight to the valve that controls the whole house. Insurance carrier Travelers puts it simply in its homeowner guidance: learn where your main shut-off valve is and how it works before you need it. In San Diego County homes the valve is usually in one of these places:

• On the supply pipe where it rises out of the ground near the front hose bib, often on the side of the house that faces the street. This is very common on slab-on-grade tract homes.
• In a garage or utility closet, sometimes near the water heater or a pressure regulator.
• Under a raised floor in older homes with crawl spaces, close to where the line enters.
• At the meter box near the curb, if you cannot find or turn the house valve. The meter valve often needs a meter key or wrench.

A round handle (gate valve) turns clockwise until it stops. A lever (ball valve) turns a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe. Do not force a corroded gate valve hard enough to snap the stem; move to the meter if it will not budge.

If the break is on one fixture

A split supply line under a sink or behind a toilet can usually be stopped at the small angle stop beneath it. A broken line at the water heater can be stopped at the cold inlet valve on top of the tank. Close the local valve first if it is right there, then decide whether you still need the main off.

Minute 2 to 4: deal with electricity and gas

Water and power do not mix. If water is spreading toward outlets, power strips, appliances or the electrical panel, and you can reach the panel from a dry spot, switch off the breakers for the wet area. If the panel itself is wet or you would have to stand in water, stay out and call SDG&E or an electrician.

If the leak is near a gas water heater or furnace and you smell gas, do not touch switches. Leave the house first, then call 911 and SDG&E at 1-800-611-7343 from a safe spot. Some homes are all-electric or run on propane; your gas utility is shown on your gas bill. Our gas smell safety steps cover this in more detail.

Minute 4 to 6: drain the lines and stop new water

• Open the lowest faucet in the house, such as a tub spout or a hose bib, to let trapped water drain out of the pipes instead of out of the break.
• If the break is on the hot side, turn a gas water heater to its vacation or pilot setting, or switch off the breaker for an electric heater, so it does not heat an emptying tank.
• Turn off the irrigation controller and the ice maker line so nothing tries to draw water.

Minute 6 to 8: protect the house

Pull rugs, electronics, papers and furniture out of the water. Put aluminum foil or plastic under furniture legs that must stay. Push standing water toward a floor drain or out a door with a squeegee or towels. If water came through a ceiling, a bulging spot can be relieved with a small hole and a bucket underneath, but stay off wet ladders and away from light fixtures.

Minute 8 to 10: document and make the calls

Photograph and video the break, the wet areas and damaged items before cleanup goes much further. Then:

1. Call a plumber to repair the pipe. A plumber who handles burst pipe repair in San Diego can also tell you whether the damaged section points to wider pipe problems.
2. Call your insurance carrier. Travelers says homeowners policies often cover burst-pipe damage when the event is sudden and accidental, but warns that coverage may be denied when a known leak was ignored. Read your own policy and ask your carrier.
3. Consider a water damage company if water soaked carpet, drywall or cabinets, since drying soon limits mold.

Is the leak yours or the water agency's?

Where the water is coming from decides who fixes it. In the City of San Diego, the property owner is responsible for the water system from the meter toward the house, while the City handles its side. The City's meter leak page says standing water in the meter box, constantly soggy ground or water flowing from the meter can point to a meter-area leak, and asks customers to call the Water Emergency Hotline at 619-515-3525 for City-side leaks or help identifying the source. Other agencies such as Helix, Sweetwater, Otay, Padre Dam and Vallecitos have their own emergency numbers on their bills and websites. If the meter is fine but your main water line repair is needed between the meter and the house, that is a private job.

Why do pipes burst in a place with mild weather?

Freezing is the classic cause elsewhere, but most San Diego breaks have other roots:

Pressure is worth a closer look. Vallecitos Water District, which serves San Marcos, explains that a regulator on its side of the meter protects the meter, not the customer's line, so a customer-side regulator may be needed at the owner's expense. Where a home has one, it usually sits near where the line enters the house; when it fails, house pressure can climb until the weakest fitting gives. Owners in San Marcos and the rest of North County can ask a plumber to check it while repairing the break.

In hilly East County, owners in El Cajon and up toward Ramona should still wrap any exposed outdoor piping, just in case a cold night arrives.

What will the plumber do once on site?

Expect the first job to be finding the actual failure, which is not always where the water showed up. Water runs along framing and pipes before it drips, so a stain in a hallway ceiling may come from a fitting several feet away. Once the break is exposed, the usual choices are a cut-out and new section of pipe, a repair coupling for a clean split, or replacing a failed connector or valve outright. The plumber should also tell you why it broke. A fitting that blew off because of high pressure needs a regulator fix too, or the next weakest joint will be next. A pinhole in thin, corroded copper suggests more pinholes are coming, and older galvanized lines rarely fail in only one spot. If the report points to aging pipe throughout, ask for a written comparison of spot repair versus replacing the supply piping so you can plan rather than react. Keep the old section of pipe if your insurer wants to see it, and ask for an invoice that describes the cause in plain words.

After the emergency: preventing the next one

• Tag the main shutoff and make sure every adult in the house can close it.
• Replace rubber washer hoses with braided ones and check sink supply lines when you clean under cabinets.
• Have the pressure regulator tested if faucets bang or the water heater relief valve drips.
• Book professional leak detection if your bill climbs with no visible water, since a hidden leak may be the start of the next failure.
• If the break was in a pipe buried under concrete, read our slab leak warning signs guide.

Not sure whether the problem can wait until morning? Our guide on when to call for emergency help lays out which situations justify an after-hours visit. For immediate help, you can reach an emergency plumber in San Diego through this site.