Frozen pipe burst: what to do first, and who pays

When a frozen pipe bursts, shut off the main water valve first, then make the power safe, open a tap to drain the lines, and photograph the damage before you move anything. Call a plumber for the pipe, your insurer for the claim, and a restoration company to extract the water and dry the wall it ran into.

The water you can see is the smaller problem. A pipe that splits inside an outside wall or a ceiling sends water along the framing, into insulation and down the back of the drywall before any of it reaches the floor.

What do you do the moment a pipe bursts?

Stop the water, then everything else. The City of Toronto's pipe leak or burst page says the main valve is typically on the foundation wall where the drinking water pipe enters the home, just before the water meter.

1. Close the main valve. If it will not turn, call 311 and ask for a Water Turn Off. The City takes these by phone only.
2. Make the power safe. If water is near outlets, a power bar or the panel, switch off that circuit from somewhere dry. Do not stand in water to do it.
3. Drain the lines. Open the lowest cold tap in the house so the pipes empty instead of feeding the leak.
4. Stay out from under a wet ceiling. A ceiling holding water sags and then lets go.
5. Photograph before you touch. Wide shots from each doorway, the water line on walls and furniture legs, and the split itself if you can see it.
6. Call a plumber, then your insurer. The pipe has to be repaired before the water goes back on.
7. Get the water out and the drying started. Extraction first, then air movers and dehumidifiers on the wet structure, not just the floor.

The shut-off and the photographs are covered in more detail in the first hour of a water leak.

Is the pipe frozen, or has it already burst?

If a tap gives nothing in a cold snap, the pipe is probably frozen, and the split may not show until it thaws. The City's frozen pipes page lists the usual places: pipes against exterior walls, and where the service pipe comes in through the foundation wall.

Its thawing advice, in short:

1. Turn on a tap in the basement, preferably the cold tap in the laundry room.
2. Warm the pipe or the air around it with an electric heating pad, hair dryer, space heater or warm towel. No torch, no open flame, no kerosene or propane heater, and do not leave electrical devices unattended.
3. Expect it to take between one and six hours.
4. Once it thaws, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks.

Step 4 is the one that matters here. Stand where you can reach the main valve when the water comes back. If anything starts to drip or spray, close it again and go to the list above.

Who pays for a burst pipe?

Two separate questions: who owns the pipe, and who pays for the water damage.

On the pipe, the City says water service pipes are owned by you and the City. The City's part runs from the street watermain to the property line. The pipes in your home are private property, and for breaks in your home the City says you will need a plumber.

On the damage, the Insurance Bureau of Canada's coverage guide says home water damage cover usually includes sudden and accidental escape of water. It also says that if you are away for more than four days in the normal heating season, you must drain the plumbing or have the home checked while the heat stays on, and that freezing damage without those precautions would likely be excluded. Your own policy wording decides. The detail is in does home insurance cover water damage in Ontario.

In a condo, a pipe in the wall between two units raises a third question, and the answer sits in the corporation's documents. See condo leak from the unit above: who pays.

What does the cleanup involve, and what does it cost?

Burst pipe water is clean when it leaves the pipe, which is the good news. It is also under pressure and often inside a wall, which is the bad news. The work is extraction, then opening up what is trapping water (baseboards, sometimes the bottom of the drywall), then drying until the framing and subfloor read dry, not just the surface.

On AllCleaner's published rates, a single small area runs $1,500 to $3,500 and a whole room $4,000 to $7,500. A burst pipe that ran overnight into a finished basement can reach the full basement range of $5,000 to $25,000. The price is confirmed before work starts, and the damage is documented for your insurer as the work goes. See what water damage restoration costs in Toronto.

How do you stop it happening again?

The City's list is short and worth doing before January. Insulate pipes near outside walls and in crawl spaces, the attic and the garage. Seal air leaks. Unscrew garden hoses, turn off the outdoor supply and let those taps drain. In extreme cold, keep the area around the water meter warm and open the cabinet doors under sinks so warm air reaches the plumbing. If you are going away for a long time, the City suggests closing the main valve and draining the lines.

If it has already happened, AllCleaner's water damage cleaning and restoration covers extraction, drying and the paperwork, and the emergency line is answered 24 hours on 647-697-7435.