A pipe burst: what to do, in order

Why the leak appears after the cold

Research summarized by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) explains that ice does not usually split a pipe where it forms. Once ice blocks a pipe, continued freezing pushes water pressure up between the blockage and a closed faucet, and the pipe bursts there, usually where there is little or no ice. While it is still frozen, the crack is plugged. When the ice melts, the water flows.

Step by step

1. Close the main shutoff and open the lowest faucet in the house to drain the lines. On a well, also turn off the pump breaker. Where the shutoffs are.
2. Turn off the water heater. Switch an electric heater off at the breaker, or set a gas heater to "pilot" or "vacation," so it does not heat an emptying tank.
3. Stay away from wet electrical. Turn off power to wet rooms at the panel only if you can reach it standing on a dry floor.
4. Look for more breaks. The American Red Cross warns that if one pipe froze, others may have too. Check the crawl space, every outside wall with plumbing, the water heater area, outdoor spigots and the well house.
5. Photograph and video everything before cleanup, including the split pipe. Keep the piece of pipe the plumber removes. Claim checklist.
6. Dry out fast: move belongings out, pull up soaked rugs, and run fans and dehumidifiers. Drying and mold.
7. Call a licensed plumber. In South Carolina, residential plumbing work over $500 requires a license. Checking a plumber.
8. Report the claim promptly to your agent or company, and keep receipts for emergency repairs.

After a citywide freeze, expect a wait

After the December 2022 Christmas freeze, Columbia Fire answered more than 350 weather-related calls over the holiday weekend as pipes burst in homes and businesses, and fire officials expected more as people returned from trips. Plumbers across the Midlands get the same surge. Shutting off the water and drying out yourself keeps the damage from growing while you wait.