Burst Pipe Repair in Chantilly, VA

Which pipes in a Chantilly house tend to burst?

The median home in Chantilly was built in 1987, in neighborhoods such as Franklin Farm and Greenbriar. Houses of that age usually have copper or early plastic supply lines that are sound overall but have shutoff valves, supply connectors and fittings that are now decades old. The pipes that split most often are the ones near cold air: lines feeding outside faucets, runs along garage walls, plumbing in bonus rooms over a garage, and pipe in unheated crawlspaces. Worn washing machine hoses and toilet connectors cause many of the bursts that have nothing to do with weather.

Who handles a break in the yard or at the street?

Fairfax Water supplies Chantilly. It owns the service line up to and including the meter, and the customer owns the line beyond it. Water bubbling up at the street, at a hydrant or inside the meter box is Fairfax Water's to look at: call 703-698-5800 on weekdays or 703-698-5613 after hours. A leak between the meter and your foundation, or anywhere inside, is a private repair. If sewage rather than clean water is backing up, Fairfax County's 24-hour sewer line is 703-323-1211.

Is a permit part of the job?

Fairfax County Land Development Services lists permits as required for new, repaired or relocated plumbing fixtures, and exempts like-for-like replacement in the same location. A short splice in an existing pipe is usually the simple case. If the plumber recommends rerouting a line out of a cold exterior wall or replacing a long run, ask whether a permit is needed; applications go through PLUS, and LDS answers questions at 703-222-0801.

A Chantilly note

Chantilly sits near the Loudoun line, and gas service can vary by address in this part of the county. If you smell gas while dealing with the leak, leave the house first. Then, from outside, call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1; if your gas bill names a different company, call that one instead. Before winter, disconnect hoses, close any inside valve feeding outdoor spigots and have irrigation lines drained. Fairfax County requires lawn irrigation backflow assemblies to be tested every year by an authorized tester.