Burst pipe flooding your home: the first five minutes
- 1
Close the main shutoff
Find the valve where the line enters the house, often in the basement near the meter or the water heater. Use your own house valve, not the Authority's meter. Turn a wheel handle clockwise or swing a lever handle a quarter turn across the pipe.
- 2
Drain the pipes
Open the lowest faucet in the house, and then a top-floor faucet, so the standing water runs out and pressure falls.
- 3
Cut power if water reaches electrics
If water is near outlets, a panel or appliances, leave the area and call your electric utility or 911 rather than reaching for a breaker in wet conditions.
- 4
Protect what you can
Move furniture, lift rugs, and scoop or mop standing water. Photograph damage before cleanup for your insurance claim.
- 5
Call us
Tell us which pipe split, whether the main is closed, and where the water is. Dial (215) 714-6692.
Why pipes burst in the first place
Pipes burst when pressure outpaces the pipe wall. The usual cause in winter is ice: water expands as it freezes, and the blockage between the ice plug and a closed faucet is where pressure builds until the pipe splits. The split often shows up after the thaw, when water starts flowing again.
Not every burst is a freeze. Old galvanized steel rots from the inside, copper develops pinholes, a failed fitting can blow off, and plastic lines can crack at a stress point. If you see more than one failure along the same run, it may be time to talk about repiping rather than another patch.
Frozen pipes: thaw safely, then watch for splits
If a faucet runs slow or stops in cold weather, a pipe may be frozen but not yet burst. Open the tap, then warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer on low, working from the faucet toward the frozen area. Never use a torch or open flame, which can scorch framing and crack pipe.
Pipes in exterior walls, unheated garages, crawlspaces and basement rim joists freeze first. The nearest National Weather Service normal is for Philadelphia, not Horsham, and puts the January normal low at 26 degrees Fahrenheit. A cold snap well below that is easy to picture in an outside wall, so open vanity doors on those nights. If a thawed pipe starts dripping, shut the main and call us.
Check the meter too. The Horsham Water and Sewer Authority owns it, but a meter that freezes can burst, and the owner pays to replace it. Keep it in a heated part of the basement with a clear path to it, and call the Authority at (215) 672-8011 if you see ice or a crack.
Water coming through the ceiling right now?
Close the main and call (215) 714-6692. We book same-day burst pipe repair when available, including overnight and weekend calls.
Where burst pipes hide in a Horsham house
Exterior walls and rim joists
Cold air reaches supply lines tucked against exterior framing, especially at kitchen sinks on outside walls.
Unheated garages and crawlspaces
Hose bibs, laundry lines and any pipe above a garage ceiling see the lowest temperatures.
Above drop ceilings and in attics
Fire sprinkler stubs, bathroom supply lines and heating loops run through spaces that lose heat quickly.
Behind finished walls
A pinhole or split in a hidden run may sound like trickling, produce stains, or show as a bill increase before it becomes visible.
Outdoor spigots
A hose left attached through a freeze can split the pipe inside the wall and leak only when the spigot is turned on.
How we repair a burst pipe
After the water is off, we find the full extent of the split. Pipes often crack along several inches, and freezing can damage joints and fittings near the visible tear. We cut out the damaged section, then join new pipe with proper fittings, using methods suited to copper, PEX, CPVC or galvanized lines.
Then we restore pressure slowly and check every joint. A burst usually forces us to open drywall or ceiling, and we keep that opening as small as the access allows. Where a section is badly corroded, we will show you the pipe and explain whether a spot repair or a larger replacement is the better choice.
Before we arrive: contain it
These moves cut damage and make the repair faster.
Know your shutoff
If the main will not close fully, tell us. A stuck valve needs replacing and changes what we bring.
Turn down the water heater
With the main closed, switch an electric heater off at the breaker or set a gas heater to pilot so it does not run dry.
Open cabinet doors
Open vanity and sink cabinets near the break to let warm air reach the pipes and let moisture escape.
Clear a path
Move items away from the pipe area and the main so the plumber can reach the damage quickly.
After the repair: drying and next steps
Wet drywall, insulation and carpet padding hold moisture and grow mold if they stay damp, so call a water mitigation company for anything beyond a small spill. The plumbers concentrate on the pipe itself. Drying, mold remediation and rebuilding walls fall to mitigation and building trades.
If your pipes are galvanized or the burst was in a supply line that has failed before, ask us about a leak detection pass on the rest of the system. If the break is outdoors between the meter and the house, see water service line repair.
Pennsylvania does not issue a state license to most construction contractors, so check a plumber's paperwork yourself. Contractors doing $5,000 or more of home improvements a year must register with the Attorney General, and you can look a business up at hicsearch.attorneygeneral.gov or call 1-888-520-6680. Do that before approving a large repair, especially after storm or freeze damage when unfamiliar crews knock on doors.
What affects the price of burst pipe repair
Pricing is clear before work begins. These factors drive it.
Pipe material and size
A short copper repair is different from a PEX run or a larger galvanized main.
Access to the break
A pipe visible in a basement joist bay is quick. A pipe behind tile or a finished ceiling takes more labor.
Length of damaged pipe
One split is a short repair. Several failures on the same run may justify replacing the whole segment.
Time of the call
After-hours and weekend dispatch is part of emergency service, and we explain it up front.
Valve and fitting condition
A main shutoff that will not close, or corroded fittings, adds parts and time.
Homeowners insurance may cover sudden burst water damage, but terms differ. Ask your carrier and keep photographs. Want your real number? Call (215) 714-6692.
Burst pipe or something else
Water on the floor is not always a burst. A failed water heater tank, an overflowing washer line or a drain backup produces the same puddle. Our water heater repair team handles tank leaks, and a sewage smell with floor-drain flooding points to the sewer line instead.
We serve homes across Horsham and nearby towns, including Warrington and Maple Glen.
Questions about burst pipe repair in Horsham
Yes. We dispatch 24/7, so a burst at midnight on a holiday weekend is answered the same as one on a weekday afternoon. Shut off the main and call (215) 714-6692 while we schedule your visit.
Usually in the basement or utility room on the wall facing the street, near the meter. A second valve, the curb stop, sits outside at the end of the Authority's side of the line. The curb stop is the dividing point, so call the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority at (215) 672-8011 before turning it yourself.
Yes, if the main is closed. Switch an electric heater off at the breaker or set a gas heater to pilot to prevent damage from running with no water.
If it has not split, slow thawing is often enough. If it has, we cut out the split section and replace it, then check the rest of that run.
Open the faucet, warm the pipe with a hair dryer on low or warm towels, and work toward the frozen spot. Never use a torch. If you cannot reach it, call us.
We open only what access requires and repair the pipe. Wall and ceiling finishing is a separate trade, and we can tell you what to expect.
Sudden water damage from a burst is often covered, though the pipe repair itself may not be. Check with your carrier and keep photos.
Sources we checked
Local facts on this page come from these public pages. Plumbing work in Pennsylvania falls under the Uniform Construction Code, which adopts the International Plumbing Code (IPC) provisions, so ask Horsham Code Enforcement which edition applies before a permit is pulled. Rules and phone numbers change, so confirm with the office before you act.
- horshamwater-sewer.com/did-you-know Authority report
- horshamwater-sewer.com/sites/default/files/2026-02/horsham-water-se... Authority report
- horshamwater-sewer.com/contact Authority report
- weather.gov/phi/clinormalsKPHL State agency
- pa.gov/agencies/dli/programs-services/labor-managem... State agency
- attorneygeneral.gov/businesses-and-organizations/home-improvemen... State agency