How Long Does it Take to Fix a Burst Pipe?

by Alan Bounder

---

Posted on 10-05-2020 05:04 PM

---

---

How we fix a burst main

Of course, you’ll want to call water leak specialist plumbers to fix or replace damaged water pipes. And it remains important to remember bursts in water pipes do sometimes occur throughout the year in homes utilizing defective pipe materials.

That being said, burst water mains do happen from time to time and so here we try to explain what goes into fixing a water main, repairing the leak and getting your water back on to your tap.

At this point it is important to note that every burst water main or water leak is different and therefore the exact fix will change and the time taken to repair the water main will vary.

They can come off either trunk mains or distribution mains. The amount of people affected by a burst water main or leak, and often the length of time to fix, is determined by the type and size of the water main the burst or leak is on.

Officials are often not sure what caused the main to burst, but they are hopeful an estimate of what it will take to fix the leak will be made quickly.

Symptoms of a Burst Main Water Line

To report a burst water main, use the available water online form to report smaller leaks.

Here is an example of the sort of disrupton caused by a burst water main. Businesses and schools shut down thursday after a main line from a plant that supplies water to about half of houston burst open, submerging vehicles on a flooded freeway and prompting emergency officials in the nation’s fourth-largest city to deploy tanker trucks to mitigate any fire hazards.

If there are trees growing near your sewer line or main water line, the roots can grow into the pipe causing them to leak and burst.

Fixing a Burst Pipe Using a Clamp and Sleeve

For a pinhole leak, wrap duct tape around the pipe; this will often be enough to seal the leak until a plumber or water damage remediation company arrives.

Another option is to fashion a temporary patch out of a piece of flexible rubber (such as an old radiator or heater hose), place it over the leak, lay a small block of wood over the patch and clamp it in place with a C-clamp.

An even better option, especially for larger leaks, is a sleeve clamp , which is a circular clamp lined with rubbery material that forms a waterproof sleeve for the pipe. (Note: you’ll have to buy a clamp sized to your specific pipe.)

How Long Does It Take To Fix a Burst Pipe?

Sometimes external water main repairs to a home, take longer than the professional plumbing service chosen would like, as they need to complete numerous checks and tests, and work with the relevant local authority to minimise disruption to our customers and local traffic. We use a CAT tracer to find any cables and pipes near the burst main, before excavating a hole.

How long the repair process takes depends on the location and ease of access of the pipe. It may be necessary to wait for flooding to drain away to a river or stream before we can start. Burst pipes under the kitchen sink are quicker and easier to fix than burst pipes within a wall or crawl space.

---