Burst Pipe
Burst Pipe | Emergency Plumbing | Plumbing | Philadelphia
When a pipe bursts in your Philadelphia home, seconds feel like hours as water threatens your walls, floors, and treasured belongings. HEP’s seasoned technicians are standing by around the clock, arriving fast with fully stocked vans, thermal imaging, and cutting-edge pipe-repair gear. From frozen copper lines in South Philly rowhomes to ruptured PVC in Center City condos, we isolate the break, stop the flow, and restore water safely—often in a single visit.
Homeowners choose HEP for transparent pricing, courteous service, and workmanship that holds up long after the panic fades. We even guide you through water-damage mitigation and insurance paperwork, so you can focus on getting life back to normal. When every minute matters, trust the local team that treats your crisis like their own—call HEP for true emergency plumbing excellence, anytime, anywhere in Philadelphia.
FAQs
What should I do right away if I discover a burst pipe in my Philadelphia home or business?
First, shut off the main water valve—usually located where the service line enters the building or in the basement near the water meter. Next, turn off electricity to any area that is being saturated to avoid shocks. Open nearby faucets to relieve pressure and help drain the system. If safe, take photos or video of the damage for insurance documentation. Finally, call our 24/7 emergency hotline. Our dispatcher will walk you through additional safety steps while a licensed technician is on the way.
How quickly can your emergency plumbers reach me in the Philadelphia area?
We maintain fully stocked service trucks in Center City, South, North, and West Philadelphia as well as the immediate suburbs. In most cases we arrive within 60 minutes of your call—often faster during overnight hours when traffic is lighter. Our GPS-routed dispatch software alerts the nearest on-call plumber and provides live ETA updates to your phone so you know exactly when help will arrive.
Will my homeowner’s or commercial insurance cover the cost of repairing a burst pipe and water damage?
Most standard policies cover sudden and accidental water releases such as a burst pipe, although exclusions can apply if the property was unheated or the break resulted from long-term neglect. We work with all major carriers, provide detailed digital photos, moisture readings, and line-item estimates, and can bill your insurer directly with your approval. We recommend notifying your agent as soon as possible and securing an immediate mitigation crew (which we can supply) to limit secondary damage—steps insurers typically require for full coverage.
What can I do to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting during Philadelphia’s winter cold snaps?
• Insulate exposed piping in unheated basements, crawl spaces, and exterior walls with foam or fiberglass sleeves. • Install UL-listed heat tape on vulnerable lines. • Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses and shut the sillcock supply via the interior shut-off. • Keep the thermostat set to at least 55 °F, even if the property is vacant. • On nights forecast below 20 °F, let a thin stream of cold water run from faucets on exterior walls. • Have us perform a winterization inspection—we pressure-test the system, check for drafts, and recommend permanent fixes.
How do you repair a burst pipe once you arrive?
After shutting water and performing a pressure test to locate all failures, we cut out the damaged section. Depending on material and code requirements we may: • Sweat in new copper using lead-free solder. • Install a crimped PEX section for flexibility and freeze resistance. • Use a no-hub coupling or shielded clamp for cast-iron drains. • Apply trenchless epoxy lining for certain under-slab breaks. We then restore water, monitor for leaks, and can deploy extraction equipment, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments to prevent mold. Before leaving we provide a written warranty, photos of repairs, and maintenance tips.
Are your technicians licensed, and do repairs comply with the Philadelphia Plumbing Code?
Yes. Every lead tech holds an active City of Philadelphia Master Plumber license, and our company is registered with the Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I). We pull permits when required, follow the 2018 International Plumbing Code as adopted by Philadelphia, and schedule any necessary inspections. All materials meet NSF and ASTM standards, and our work is backed by a minimum one-year labor warranty plus manufacturer warranties on parts.