Burst water pipe

Causes

Frost damage

Corroded pipes

Rodents have chewed through plastic pipe

Connector or pipe failure

Nail has punctured pipe

Listed under: plumbing, pipes, Services, durability, corrosion

Cause

Frost damage

Repair

  • if possible, make a temporary repair, wrapping with duct tape or similar
  • turn off the water at the toby. A toby is a valve that allows the water to your home to be closed off. For houses it will usually be in the ground close to the front boundary, protected by a metal or blue or black plastic cover. Newer models can be turned on or off by hand, but a few older models use a metal handle. Each property typically has its own toby. In townhouses the toby may be located adjacent to each unit.
  • call a registered plumber. Fixing water pipes is not a DIY job – work on water pipes that supply sanitary fixtures and appliances such as sinks, showers, toilets and so on is restricted work that must be done by a registered plumber. You can search the register here
  • protect the water pipes from frost damage in future. The plumber will be able to advise. One solution is to install foam insulating sleeves over the pipes. Purpose-made, preformed insulation a minimum 13 mm thick is readily available

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Cause

Corroded pipes

Repair

  • as for first repair
  • if the corrosion is extensive, you should arrange to have a registered plumber replace all the corroded pipes

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Cause

Rodents have chewed through plastic pipe

Repair

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Cause

Connector or pipe failure

Repair

  • as for first repair

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Cause

Nail has punctured pipe

Repair

  • as for first repair

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