If a pipe bursts in your Alexandria home, close the main shutoff and keep away from wet electrical outlets. A plumber can locate the split, replace the damaged section and check the surrounding joints before you use water again. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Alexandria.
Alexandria's setup
Inside city limits, Virginia American Water supplies the water, buying it treated from Fairfax Water's Potomac River and Occoquan Reservoir plants. Many homes with an Alexandria mailing address, in ZIP codes such as 22306 through 22312 and 22315, are actually in unincorporated Fairfax County and generally get water straight from Fairfax Water. Your bill tells you which utility to call about a break at the street. Virginia American Water's customer service line is 1-800-452-6863.
Virginia American Water notes that a service line can be partly utility-owned and partly customer-owned, and the plumbing inside the home is the owner's. The median home in the city dates from 1974, and Old Town and Del Ray have far older houses whose supply pipes may have been patched several times. Virginia American Water publishes a service line material map that shows what your connection is made of. Permits for repair work in the city go through the City of Alexandria's Department of Code Administration; Fairfax County handles the Alexandria-addressed areas outside the city.
Patch it or replace more?
| What the plumber finds | Typical fix | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A single frozen split in sound copper | Cut out and solder or press a new section | Quick, and the rest of the run is healthy |
| A blown supply hose at a toilet, sink or washer | Replace the connector and stop valve if worn | Hoses age out before the piping does |
| Corroded galvanized pipe that cracked | Replace the run back to a solid joint | Old steel tends to fail again next to the repair |
| Several weak spots in one old house | Talk about partial repiping | Repeated patching costs more over time |
Clues that a pipe has failed
- A bulging, stained ceiling under a bath or radiator line
- Water creeping across a basement slab from one wall
- Faucets sputtering or dropping to a trickle
- A wet patch in the front yard between the meter and the house
When bursts tend to happen
Most calls come during or just after a hard cold snap, when pipes along exterior walls, in unheated rear additions or under porches freeze overnight. The split often stays hidden until the ice melts and the line starts spraying, so check those spots as temperatures climb back up. Summer bursts are less common and usually trace to a worn connector or a failed fitting rather than weather.
Burst Pipe Repair questions in Alexandria
My water provider depends on the address. How do I know whom to call?
Does a burst pipe repair need a permit here?
Does one burst pipe mean the house needs repiping?
What should I record for an insurance claim?
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