Dealing with a burst water pipe at home

16 August, 2021   By: Vanessa Pogorelic

The pipes that carry water throughout a home are under constant pressure during daily household use. Hidden from view inside walls cavities, within the roof and also within the slab of a home, when something goes wrong it can be difficult to get to, and to repair.

It can also be difficult, if not impossible, to know the condition of your water pipes which means, over time as things break down and problems occur, you won’t know until it’s too late.

Burst water pipes are a common emergency home repair and the damage a large volume of water can cause inside your home can add even more to the cost of getting the pipes themselves repaired.

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What causes water pipes to burst?

Plumber Ben Talbot from BPG WA says the quality of the water in Perth can cause significant problems in water pipes.

“The hard water we have here has lots of calcium in it which can cause the pipes to calcify and that can damage them. Once they start to deteriorate, that’s when burst pipes can happen.”

High water pressure can also have an impact. Talbot says if the pressure to the home is more than about 500kpa, it’s generally too much.

“That’s one reason why tap washers perish, when the pressure’s too high and pipes burst. There’s just too much water pressure going through. And companies don’t warrant their tap wear for that either. When you install a new tap, on most taps, your water pressure should under 500kpa.”

Water hammer

If you’re hearing water hammer when you turn on a tap, it’s wise to get it addressed. Water hammer has a number of causes but is generally the result of issues with the control of water pressure through the pipes.

Talbot says the causes of water hammer can be a difficult to diagnose and deal with.

“The water hammer could be from a stuck water valve somewhere. It could be an unclipped or unfixed pipe in the ceiling or in the wall cavity. It’s just a nightmare. High water pressure can cause it as well.”

Left unresolved, water hammer can put extra stresses and wear on pipes, resulting in leaks.

Wear and tear

Age will also eventually take its toll. Copper pipes gradually perish, at which point they can become susceptible to pin hole leaks and to bursting and it isn’t just a problem in older homes says Talbot.

“I’ve been to houses that are 40 years old and they’ve got their first burst pipe, and then you go to houses that are 10 years old and they’ve had multiple burst pipes. I went to one in Safety Bay the other day and the house was 11 years old, and the copper pipe had multiple issues. It was under liquid limestone. It was perished and it had only been in the ground for 11 years.

“If the pipe is underground, different soils can also affect a copper pipe, it does depend on what it’s sitting in as well, not just the age.”

By far the most difficult water pipe repairs according to Talbot are those that occur in the wall cavity or within the slab of the home.

“The problem is what you have to do to get to it. When it’s in the slab you have to cut into the slab to repair it.”

How do you know you have a problem?

Whether it’s a slow leak or something more significant, the causes are often the same.

“A leak can happen anywhere on the pipe. It could be just a pinhole leak in a bend, or even on a straight piece of pipe or at a join.”

With the exception of water hammer, both small leaks and burst pipes can happen without much warning.

A sudden increase in the charge on your water bill should set off alarm bells and for larger leaks you can often hear the water escaping.

Another sign is damp areas on walls and ceilings where there is no other obvious cause.

What to do when you have a burst water pipe

To test for a suspected slow leak, turn off all taps and any appliances that may be using water (such as washing machines or dishwashers), check the reading on your water meter and whether the dial is moving.

Look again another 10-15mins later. If the meter has moved and no water has been used in the home, you may have a water leak somewhere.

For a burst pipe, there is only one course of action until help arrives. Turn off the mains water supply as soon as possible. The water should stop soon after, but it can also help to turn on taps and flush toilets to help stop the water leaking more quickly, just remember to turn them off again once the water has drained. Your next step is to put a call in for an emergency plumbing repair.

If the problem is with a flexi hose, it may be possible to isolate this leak yourself. Flexi hoses are often used to connect a water supply to taps and fixtures in a home. These rubber pipes are covered in layers of braided stainless steel and are popular because they can be bent into shape.

The hoses, commonly found under kitchen and bathroom sinks, have a limited life span and require regular checks to ensure they’re not at risk of bursting and flooding your home. Warning signs that a flexi hose could be close to failing include rust or corrosion and bulging or fraying.

If one does begin to leak or burst, where there is a mini stop or an isolation valve attached to the fixture, turn it off immediately. Once the water is shut it off, the damaged hose can be replaced with a new one.

Regularly checking the condition of your flexi hoses is one simple way that you can prevent a flood in your home.