Burst pipe: what to do in the first 10 minutes

What to do in the first 10 minutes

Shut off the water first, then deal with power, hot water and photos. Work through these steps in order.

1. Turn off the water at the meter or toby. Turn the tap clockwise until it stops. If you cannot find it straight away, look for an isolating valve near the hot water cylinder or under the leaking fixture.

2. Switch off the hot water cylinder. Most electric cylinders have their own switch or circuit on the switchboard. An element left heating while the cylinder drains can be damaged.

3. Keep away from water near power points, lights or appliances. If water has reached the electrics, turn the power off at the mains if you can reach it safely with dry hands.

4. Open the cold taps at the lowest point in the house. This drains the water left in the pipes and slows the leak.

5. Move valuables, rugs and electronics away from the water, and catch drips with buckets and towels.

6. Take photos and short videos of the burst, the water and the damage before you clean up.

7. Call a plumber. If the burst is on the street, footpath or other public land, report it to Watercare instead.

Where is the toby or water meter?

In most Auckland homes the water shut-off is at the water meter, at the front of the property. Watercare says meters are usually near the left or right boundary, inside a box with a blue or black lid. Older homes may also have a toby, which is a small valve under a cover near the front boundary.

Lift the lid and you will see the meter dial and a tap on the pipe. Watercare says to turn the meter tap anti-clockwise to open it, so turning it clockwise shuts the water off.

Find your meter now, before you need it. Watercare asks owners to keep easy access to the meter so they can turn off the water if a sudden leak happens. Clear away plants, soil or bark that cover the lid.

Why switch off the hot water cylinder?

Switching off the cylinder protects it while the water is off. Once the supply is shut, the cylinder can lose water through the burst. An element that keeps heating with little water around it can burn out.

Turn the cylinder off at its switch or at the switchboard, where the circuit is often labelled hot water or HWC. Leave it off until the plumber has repaired the pipe, turned the water back on and checked that the cylinder is full. If you are not sure which switch it is, leave it to the plumber.

How to keep electrics safe around a burst pipe

Treat any wet electrics as live until an electrician says otherwise. WorkSafe says that if your house has been affected by water, you should turn the power off at the mains and get an electrician to check things before the power goes back on, if that can be done safely.

WorkSafe also says to keep your hands dry when you use switches, and to have any plug, socket or charger that got wet checked by an electrician. If a circuit breaker or RCD has tripped, do not reset it until an electrician has checked it, because you risk an electric shock. If anyone gets a shock, however small, turn off the power at the mains and keep everyone away.

Photos and your insurance claim

Photos taken before the clean up make an insurance claim easier. The Insurance Council of New Zealand says to contact your insurer as soon as you can and before having any work done.

Photograph the burst pipe, wet floors, walls, ceilings and damaged items. Check with your insurer before you throw anything out, and photograph it if you do. Some policies allow emergency work to make things safe and stop further damage, so ask your insurer what is covered. Keep every invoice.

Insurance generally does not cover damage from wear and tear or a lack of maintenance. A pipe that has been leaking slowly for months may be treated differently from a sudden burst, so read your policy wording.

Who fixes a burst pipe: a plumber or Watercare?

A plumber fixes pipes on your side of the water meter, and Watercare fixes pipes on the public side. Watercare says the point of supply for water is the outlet of the meter fitting closest to your private pipe.

Report a leak or burst on the street, footpath or other public land to Watercare on (09) 442 2222, press 1, or through their online chat. If the leak is in the meter box itself, contact Watercare too. For a burst between the meter and your house, or inside the house, call a plumber. Watercare says it is the owner’s job to fix private leaks and pay for the repair.

Burst pipes in apartments and units

In an apartment, shut off the water to your unit and tell the building manager or body corporate straight away. Water moves down through floors quickly, so units below can be damaged even when your own floor looks fine.

Many apartments have an isolating valve inside the unit, often near the hot water cylinder, in a cupboard or under the kitchen sink. Some buildings only shut off from a riser or a plant room that the building manager controls. Find out which applies to your unit before anything goes wrong. Tell your neighbours below, take photos in every affected unit, and check with the body corporate whether its insurance or yours applies.

How a burst pipe is repaired

A plumber finds the break, cuts out the damaged section and joins in new pipe. The plumber then turns the water back on slowly, checks the joint under pressure and refills the hot water cylinder before power goes back on.

If the burst is hidden in a wall, under a floor or underground, leak detection gear can find it without opening up more than needed. Ask the plumber to note the cause and the work done on the invoice, because your insurer will want it.

Stately Plumbing handles burst pipe repairs across Auckland, including after-hours callouts. We can shut off the supply, repair the pipe and give you an invoice that sets out the work for your insurer. Call 022 159 2013.