A burst supply line can put hundreds of gallons of water into a home in minutes. What you do in the first day decides how much of that becomes a cleanup and how much becomes a rebuild. Here is the order of operations our technicians recommend to homeowners across Wylie, Plano and the surrounding communities.
1. Stop the water
Find your main shutoff. In most North Texas homes it is at the meter box near the street or where the supply line enters the house, often in the garage or a utility closet. Turn it clockwise until it stops. If the leak is at a single fixture, the angle stop under the sink or behind the toilet may be enough, but when in doubt, shut off the main.
If water is coming through a ceiling, it has probably pooled above the drywall. Do not stand under a sagging ceiling to investigate.
2. Make the area safe
Water and electricity share the same rooms. If water has reached outlets, power strips or appliances, switch off the affected circuits at the breaker panel, provided you can reach the panel without standing in water. If you cannot, leave it and tell us when you call. Keep children and pets out of the wet area.
3. Call for mitigation right away
Water damage is classified under the IICRC S500 standard by how contaminated the water is. A burst supply line is Category 1, clean water, at the moment it happens. That status does not last. As water sits in carpet pad, drywall and subfloor it picks up contaminants and can degrade to Category 2 within a day or two, and mold growth can begin within 24 to 48 hours. The sooner extraction and drying start, the more of your home can be saved rather than removed.
Our emergency line is answered 24 hours a day. A technician can be dispatched to begin extraction, set air movers and dehumidifiers, and map moisture with meters and thermal imaging.
4. Document before you move anything
Take photos and video of the source, the standing water, and every affected room, including the underside of furniture and the contents of cabinets. Your insurance adjuster will ask for them. Then, if it is safe, move small valuables, electronics and documents out of the wet area and put aluminum foil or blocks under furniture legs on wet carpet to prevent staining.
5. Notify your insurance carrier
Report the loss and get a claim number. Sudden and accidental discharge from a plumbing system is a commonly covered cause of loss, though every policy is different and the carrier makes the coverage decision. We coordinate with your adjuster once we are on site and provide the moisture documentation and estimates the claim needs.
What not to do
- Do not run a household fan and hope. Consumer fans move air but do not remove the moisture from it; professional low-grain refrigerant dehumidifiers do.
- Do not pull up flooring or cut drywall yourself. Unplanned demolition can spread contamination and complicate your claim.
- Do not wait to “see if it dries out.” Hidden moisture in wall cavities is what turns a small loss into a mold problem.
If you are dealing with a burst pipe right now, call Fire & Water Restoration Plus at 972-455-8252. We will walk you through the shutoff over the phone while a crew is on the way.