Burst Pipe in Heath: Emergency Shutoff, the Water Key and the Meter

Stopping the water first

The first job when a pipe bursts is to stop the flow. Most homes have a main shutoff valve inside near where the supply enters, and another at the meter.

If the homeowner cannot find the valve, cannot turn it or the leak is outside, the city will help. The City of Heath shuts off a resident's water on an emergency basis for a leak or burst pipe.

A plumber can then check the damaged section, and a burst pipe water damage crew can begin extraction at the same time.

Inside shutoff

A valve near the water heater or at the wall where the supply comes in often closes the whole house. Turn it fully, then open the lowest faucet to drain the pipes.

City shutoff

When the inside valve fails, the city can close water at the meter. That stops the loss and gives the plumber a dry place to work.

Who to call, including after hours

A burst pipe does not wait for business hours. In Heath, after hours infrastructure and utility emergencies go through the Heath Department of Public Safety.

A utility emergency is a different call from a restoration call. The city handles the shutoff; a restoration crew handles the water already inside.

• Water spraying or running and the inside valve will not close: call the city's emergency process.
• Water off but the house is wet: start extraction and drying right away.
• Pipe repair needed: hire a plumber, who also restores the water.

The water key and the meter

A water key is the tool used to turn a meter's valve. Some residents shut the water off at the meter themselves, and then turn it back on after the repair.

The city's rule is specific. A resident who turns water back on with a water key and damages the meter is responsible for the meter repair, and the professional who fixes the leak should be the one to restore the water.

• Do not force the key; a stuck valve needs the city or a plumber.
• Turn the water on slowly after the repair so pressure does not surge.
• Let the plumber who made the repair turn the water back on and check it.
• Ask the city before touching a meter that looks damaged.

What a burst pipe does inside a home

A split supply pipe sprays water in every direction. It runs down walls, soaks insulation, pools on floors and drips through ceilings below.

Heath is mainly residential, with single family homes making up most of its assessed value, and many of them are large. A larger floor plan gives water more room to spread before it is found.

Learn how the crew handles it on the burst pipe water damage page.

Larger homes also mean longer pipe runs and more rooms between the break and the shutoff, so checking every floor, the garage and the rooms below any bathroom is part of the first walk through.

Clean water, but not for long

Water from a supply pipe starts clean, called Category 1. It does not stay that way.

After a day or so on building materials it can pick up contaminants, which changes how the job is handled.

Where it hides

Water follows framing. It can end up behind cabinets, under flooring and in wall cavities that look dry on the surface.

Extraction and drying steps

As soon as the flow is stopped, the crew starts the same steps in the same order. See also water extraction for how standing water comes out.

• Standing water is extracted from floors and carpet.
• Moisture meters and a thermal camera map where water traveled.
• Wet insulation and drywall are cut out where drying in place will not work.
• Air movers and dehumidifiers run, with daily readings until the materials are dry.
• Flooring is lifted or replaced only after the structure reads dry.

When the city shuts the water off for its own reasons

A burst pipe is not the only reason a Heath home loses water. On February 19, 2021 a water main broke on FM 740 near The Highlands of Heath, and water was shut off around 9:30 a.m. for 4 to 6 hours.

The break affected The Ridge and properties along FM 740.

An outage like that creates a quiet second risk. If a faucet, a hose bib or a damaged pipe was left open or split while the water was off, it starts flowing the moment service returns, and no one may be home to see it.

• Close faucets and check that supply valves are shut before service returns.
• Look at ceilings, floors and walls after water comes back on.
• Check the meter for movement when every fixture is closed.
• Ask a plumber to inspect any pipe that was cracked by an earlier freeze.

Record keeping, permits and the claim

Take photographs before anything is moved, and keep the plumber's invoice. The insurer will usually ask for both.

Heath's Building and Inspections department handles permits and inspections, and its permit list names plumbing permits for water heaters. A repair that involves replacing a tank may need one, so a plumber should be asked about it.

The Heath water damage hub lists every service for the area if the damage spreads beyond a single pipe.