Frozen & burst pipe cleanup

A pressurized line that splits releases water continuously until the supply is shut off, so the first move is the main shutoff and the second is the phone. Cleanup covers extraction, wet material removal and drying the cavity the water ran through.

Shut it off first

• Close the main shutoff. In most Anoka-area homes it is on the interior wall facing the street, near the meter.
• If you cannot find or turn the main, call and we will talk you through it while a crew is dispatched.
• Open a low faucet to drain the standing pressure in the lines.
• Keep off the electrical if water reached outlets, fixtures or the panel.

Copper splits along the run, PEX usually fails at a fitting, and either can release water inside a wall or ceiling for a long time before it shows up as a stain. If the break was above the floor you are standing on, check ceiling water damage as well.

Why it happens here

Minnesota winters put supply lines in exterior walls, unheated crawlspaces, attics and garages at risk. Water expands as it freezes, pressure builds behind the ice plug, and the pipe fails at its weakest point — often only becoming obvious during the thaw, when flow resumes through the split.

If the line is frozen but has not failed yet, that is a different job: see frozen pipe water damage. The City of Anoka also takes frozen water pipe reports at 763-576-2923 during business hours.

The cleanup

What should I do first when a pipe bursts?

Close the main shutoff, then open a low faucet to relieve the pressure still in the lines. Stay away from the electrical if water has reached outlets or the panel. Photograph everything before it is moved, then call for extraction — a pressurized line releases a large volume quickly, and most of it ends up in the level below.

Why do pipes burst in Minnesota winters?

Water expands as it freezes. Pressure builds behind the ice plug in a supply line running through an exterior wall, unheated crawlspace, attic or garage, and the pipe fails at its weakest point. Many splits are only discovered during the thaw, when flow resumes through the break.

Does a burst pipe always mean opening walls?

Not always, but the cavity has to dry. Where a panel is firm and the water was clean, small access openings low on the wall plus directed airflow can dry the assembly in place. Where insulation is saturated or the panel has lost integrity, the material comes out so the cavity can be dried and inspected.