If you see a big puddle in your yard and it hasn't been raining, you might have a plumbing leak. Check if the puddle is near any pipes if you can see where the pipes enter or exit your house. Turn off the water at your main valve to see if the water dries up. If the puddle comes back when you turn the water on, you're probably dealing with a burst pipe.

If the pipe is your water main that enters your home through the shut-off valve, you won't be able to turn the water off anywhere except the water meter, and your city might forbid that. Call an emergency plumbing service for help when you're dealing with a burst pipe. You need help as quickly as possible. Here's what they can do.

Locate The Leaky Pipe

Locating the leaky pipe may not be too difficult since you may not have many pipes under the ground outdoors. If there's a way to do it once the pipe has been located, the plumber might shut off a zone of your home to stop any water that flows to the leak, so you can turn all the other water back on.

This ends the emergency and leaves you with water to use elsewhere. If the situation is under control, and it's night, the plumber may return in the morning to use a pipe camera or to start digging up the pipe.

Decide On The Best Repairs And Dig Up The Pipe

Your plumber might look inside the pipe to see if the pipe has collapsed or if it's full of roots. Once they know what kind of emergency plumbing situation they're dealing with, the plumber can recommend repairs.

They might decide to dig a trench and replace the plumbing pipe. This could be a good choice if the pipe isn't too long and the digging is fast and easy. This gives the plumber a chance to look at the pipe to determine the exact type of damage it has.

It might even be possible to patch and repair the damage rather than replace the whole pipe. However, they want the repairs to be permanent, so they might decide to replace the whole pipe instead.

It also depends on the type of pipe they're dealing with. PEX piping is usually replaced by taking it apart at the connections on both ends, while copper might be repaired by cutting out the damaged area and replacing it with a new length of copper.

Put A Liner In The Pipe Instead

If you have metal pipes, the plumber may want to put a liner in instead. A liner is better if the pipe goes under your patio or if the line is under soil that's compacted and difficult to dig.

A liner is put inside the damaged pipe and then expanded so it forms the shape of a new pipe. The pipe is coated with adhesive when it goes in so the liner sticks to the sides of the old pipe and stays open. A liner is effective at stopping a pipe leak and a good choice in many situations.

For more information about emergency plumbing, contact a local company.

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