Here's How You Can Repair A Broken Water Line Just Like A Pro

There are many different types of plumbing problems you may face at home, but very few can be as disastrous as a broken water line. Water line breaks not only result in unscheduled water supply interruptions but can also cause significant water damage to your property and potentially lead to expensive plumbing repairs. The longer you wait to deal with the problem, the more calamitous the outcomes can be.

Because water line breaks can happen in your home, you may be interested in knowing how broken water line repair is done. This way, you can have a basic knowledge of how professional plumbers tackle the job and even attempt a DIY repair.

Below is a useful guide on how to deal with a broken water line. 

Find The Leaks

Like other plumbing repairs, a broken water line repair starts with identifying the area of the repair. This requires locating the leaks that exist in your water line. Sometimes, the location of the leaks is pretty obvious. For example, when you see a wet patch on the ground above your buried water line.

In other cases, you may require the assistance of someone with specialized leak detection tools to find the leaks.

Shut Off The Water 

Once you locate the leaks, you'll need to shut off the water supply to your home. You can accomplish this by turning off the water main shut-off valve that's typically located at the side of your home or in the basement, depending on the weather zone of your home's location.

Drain The Pipes In Your Home

Once you've shut off the water supply to your home, run the faucets and showers in your home to drain the water that remains in the pipes after the water flow has been stopped. Doing this in cold zones will help prevent the water from freezing and expanding inside the pipes, which increases the risk of pipe bursts.

Uncover The Area Of Repair

This is where things start to get a little bit difficult. You'll need to excavate the area of suspected damage until you can see the damage below. Make sure the damaged pipe is exposed well enough for you to inspect it for leaks.

Fix The Problematic Water Pipes

Depending on the extent of damage to the pipes, you may need to cut out and replace problematic sections only or replace the entire water line, especially if the leaks are due to aging pipes.

Prompt repair of a broken water line is essential for ensuring the reliability of your residential water supply while avoiding costly water damage to your private property. It also helps keep domestic utility bills and plumbing repair bills as low as possible. If you need broken water line repair services, never hesitate to contact a residential plumbing contractor.