Burst pipe FAQ

Check for hazards (water near electrical equipment, a sagging ceiling, sewage), close the main shut-off, and open the lowest tap to drain the lines. Then photograph, protect belongings and call a plumber and your insurer. See what to do when a pipe bursts.

Look where the water service enters the house, usually in the basement or utility room near the floor and often beside the meter. Follow the cold line back from the water heater if you cannot see it. See the main shut-off guide.

Do not force it with an extension bar. Close fixture stops near the break, open low taps, collect water, and call your municipality to operate the outdoor service valve and a plumber to replace the main valve.

When water is above outlets, baseboard heaters or the furnace, or near the panel. Stay out and ask your electric utility to disconnect power. See burst pipe safety.

Get everyone out from underneath, switch off that room's lights from a dry panel, close the main and have it drained from the side by a professional.

At a 45 L a minute supply limit, about 675 litres. A 1 mm pinhole at 60 psi releases about 13 litres in the same time. Try the Burst Pipe Water Loss Timer.

Listen for running water with everything off, and watch the meter's low-flow indicator. Stains, bubbling paint and a bowing ceiling follow. See burst pipe in a wall or ceiling.

Treat 48 hours as the working deadline. Health Canada says a house and furnishings are less likely to grow mould if they are dried within that time. See the drying guide.

Carpet pad, wet insulation and drywall that stayed wet, cut above the wet line. CMHC advises removing wet drywall at least 30 cm above the flood water level after flooding.

Supply water starts clean, but it becomes grey or black if it mixes with drain water or sewage, runs through soil, or sits for days. See clean, grey and black water.

Small areas, yes, with an N95 respirator, gloves and eye protection. Health Canada recommends professional help for mould areas larger than 3 m².

A bolted repair clamp over the damage, or a push-fit coupling rated for the pipe after the damaged length is cut out. Tape and putty suit pinholes only. See temporary burst pipe fixes.

The damaged length is cut out and new pipe of the same material joined with rated fittings: soldered, pressed or push-fit on copper; the house's crimp, clamp or expansion system on PEX; solvent-welded CPVC. See repair by pipe material.

It is usually the time to price a repipe. Galvanized steel corrodes from the inside, and many insurers and buyers treat poly-B as a known risk. Ask your insurer how the pipe type affects your policy.

As a 2026 planning estimate, an exposed break often plans at $350 to $900 including the call-out. Breaks in finished walls, under slabs or in the yard cost more. See burst pipe repair cost.

Drying involves extraction, removal of wet materials and days of monitored equipment, and rebuild follows. A one-room clean-water drying job commonly plans at $1,500 to $4,000.

Usually, if walls, ceilings or floor coverings got wet. The plumber fixes the pipe; the restorer dries the structure. See plumber or water damage restoration company?.

Often, if the escape of water was sudden and accidental, less the deductible. Gradual leaks are commonly excluded. See does home insurance cover burst pipes?.

IBC describes a common condition: if you are away more than four days during the heating season, you must drain the plumbing or have the home checked regularly. Read your own policy's terms.

Photos and video before cleanup, the failed pipe section, the plumber's written cause, moisture logs, receipts and a contents list. IBC notes a proof of loss is typically due within 30 days. See documenting the claim.

Usually the landlord repairs the pipe and building, and the tenant's own insurance covers the tenant's belongings and extra living costs. See tenants, landlords and condos.

Possibly. Where bylaws and provincial law allow, a corporation may charge an owner its deductible for a loss that came from the owner's unit. Check your bylaws and your own policy's deductible coverage.

Usually the owner, through a plumber, if the break is on the private side of the property line; the municipality handles its side. In Calgary, call 311 to confirm. See burst pipe under a slab or in the yard.

Fix the cause: reroute pipes out of cold spots, replace failing material, check pressure and expansion, add leak sensors or an automatic shut-off valve, and close the main when the house is empty. See preventing another burst pipe and, for freeze prevention, BurstPipes.ca.