Split Pipes and Supply-Line Floods in Cartersville, GA

Four moves that let a split pipe soak further

• Hunting for the shutoff after the water starts. UGA Extension says to know where the main cutoff is before a pipe bursts. A walk to find it costs nothing now.

• Repairing before photographing. The Georgia insurance commissioner's office says to photograph or video damage before temporary repairs, and to keep every receipt.

• Reaching for the panel across a wet floor. CDC leaves the main switch alone unless the path to it is dry, and hands the job to an electrician if the path is wet.

• Treating the stain as the whole problem. A stain only marks where the water surfaced. The Red Cross describes a sagging wet ceiling as heavy and dangerous, so what is behind it matters more than the discoloration.

Around Cartersville

• UGA Extension's pipe advice comes down to one chore: find the main water cutoff while the house is still dry. For a leak outside the house, the water bill shows which utility to phone, and Bartow County's water department answers water and sewer service problems on (770) 387-5170.

• For questions about a claim, the Georgia insurance commissioner's office has two numbers: (800) 656-2298 and (404) 656-2070. This site cannot say what any policy covers, so that call belongs with the policy holder.

On the visit itself

1. Call (678) 288-4775, say where the pipe let go and whether water is still moving, and the contractor can arrange a visit.

2. A check that the supply is off, and a view on whether a plumber needs to come first.

3. A trace of the water's path from the split, down through the wall and across the floor.

4. Readings in the wall, ceiling and floor around the damp area, to see how far it reaches.

5. A plan for drying open cavities, and a view on which wet drywall and insulation can stay.

6. A plain talk about repair or replacement of what the water touched.

When water is spraying or pouring, in order

1. Is water coming out right now?

   Close the main shutoff only when the floor around it is dry. If it is wet, skip it and phone the utility on your bill.

2. Is an outlet, switch or panel near the water?

   Stay back. That is an electrician's problem.

3. Did a ceiling or wall change shape?

   Keep out from under it, and use 911 if it falls.

4. Is the supply off but the wall still damp?

   Photograph first, then ask the contractor about drying.

5. Is the pipe itself still broken?

   That repair belongs to a plumber. The contractor can say whether the plumber needs to come first.

Parts of a pipe leak, and who decides

• Drywall around the pipeCDC lists drywall among the throw-away items after floodwater; for a supply-line leak the contractor judges how wet it got and for how long
• Insulation in the cavityThe pages name no rule for it; EPA says porous materials may have to go once they stay wet
• The pipe itselfA plumber's repair, outside what the restoration pages cover
• Tile and other sealed hard surfacesThe pages name no rule; the contractor decides surface by surface

Where the water might go next

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  Dripping and stained ceilingsWhen the pipe was upstairs and the stain is below

• 

  Appliance and water heater leaksWhen the split sits at a machine or its hose

• 

  Standing water and soaked carpetWhen the floor is already wet