Burst Pipe Repair in Philadelphia, Day or Night

Close the main water shutoff right away. In most Philadelphia rowhomes it is at the front of the basement near the water meter. Turn it clockwise until it stops. Then turn off electricity to any wet area if you can do it safely, open a low faucet to drain the lines and call a burst pipe plumber. Take photos for your insurance company.

Back additions on Philadelphia rowhomes were often built with less insulation than the main house, and the kitchen or bathroom water lines run along exterior walls or over unheated crawl spaces. In a hard freeze those lines get cold enough to freeze solid. Ice expands, the pipe splits and when it thaws the water pours out. Insulating or rerouting those lines prevents repeat bursts.

A short section can be cut out and replaced with new copper or PEX using proper transition fittings. But galvanized pipe corrodes from the inside along its whole length, so a burst often means the rest of the line is thin too. If you have had repeated leaks, we may recommend replacing the run or repiping the house instead of patching one spot at a time.

Yes, once the break is repaired the source stops. Water already in the ceiling may keep dripping for a while as it drains out. We open the ceiling only where needed to reach the pipe, and you should let the area dry fully before patching drywall to avoid mold. We can point out what needs drying when we finish.

Insulate pipes on exterior walls and in crawl spaces, keep cabinet doors under kitchen sinks open on very cold nights, let a faucet on an exterior wall drip slightly during deep freezes and never turn the heat down too low in a vacant home. Shut off and drain outside hose bibs in the fall. For lines that freeze every year, rerouting them is the lasting fix.