What To Do If A Pipe Bursts
A burst pipe can put a great deal of water into a house in a few minutes, and what you do first decides how much damage there is. This matters in Shreveport, where hard freezes in February 2021 and December 2022 broke pipes in homes all over the city. Our team wrote these steps so you can act quickly. Once the water is off, call (318) 300-4894.
Step by step instructions to limit the damage
- Shut off the water. Close the main valve where the line enters the house, or the valve at the meter. In Shreveport the meter is generally at the front of the property, between the edge of the road pavement and the property line.
- Turn off the electricity to any room where water is near outlets, lights or appliances. Do not walk through standing water to reach the panel.
- Turn off the water heater: the gas control or the breaker.
- Open the cold taps to drain what is left in the pipes.
- Catch and move what you can: buckets under drips, furniture and rugs out of the water.
- Take photos for your insurer before you clean up.
- Call a plumber and say that it is an active leak and whether the water is off.
We will ensure that your burst pipe repair in Shreveport is handled by professionals.
Why pipes burst in Shreveport
Mostly because of cold. Shreveport sees freezing nights on about 35 days in an average year, and homes here were not built for deep cold. On 16 February 2021 the temperature dropped to 1°F. Over Christmas 2022 a hard freeze broke so many water mains and private service lines that pressure fell across the city and a system-wide boil advisory followed. Water expands as it freezes, and pipes in attics, crawl spaces, garages and outside walls split first. Old, corroded pipe and clay soil that shifts can also break a line in any season. Our team is fully committed to reliable burst pipe repair in Shreveport.
Before the next freeze
- Find your main shut-off now, and make sure it turns. Our guide: How to find your water shut-off.
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor faucets.
- Insulate pipes in the attic, crawl space and garage.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls.
- Let a faucet drip on the coldest nights.
- Keep the heat on. The City of Shreveport's advice is to keep the house at 68 degrees or higher, even if you are away.
If a pipe has frozen but not yet burst, turn off the water before it thaws, and never use an open flame to thaw it. When you need a plumber in Shreveport after a freeze, our team is ready to help. Call (318) 300-4894 today for a quote.