Burst Pipe Repair in Germantown, MD

What happens when you call

Your call goes to an independent plumber who covers Germantown. Expect a few quick questions: where the water is showing up, whether the main is already closed, and whether the pipe you can see is copper, plastic or something older. Answering those helps the plumber bring the right fittings.

Once there, the plumber confirms the water is off, opens only as much drywall or ceiling as the repair needs, removes the split section and fits new pipe. Water is brought back slowly so the joints near the repair can be checked under pressure. How fast someone can come depends on the hour and on the plumber's schedule.

What moves the price

• Where the break sits. A pipe in an unfinished basement ceiling is quicker to reach than one inside a finished wall or above a kitchen.
• Pipe material. Copper, PEX and CPVC each take different fittings and tools.
• How much pipe is affected. A single frozen split is smaller work than several weak spots along one run.
• Outdoor digging. A failure on the buried service line means excavation and backfill.
• Time of day. Nights, weekends and holidays usually cost more.

Germantown conditions worth knowing

WSSC Water supplies water and sewer service across Germantown, drawing from the Potomac River and the Patuxent River reservoirs. A break in the street, at a hydrant or near the meter box belongs on WSSC's emergency line, 301-206-4002. Pipes inside the house are yours to have repaired.

Most of the housing in ZIP 20874 went up in the 1980s and 1990s, and fewer than one in five units there predate 1980. That means many homes are now on their original supply lines, valves and hose connections, which are the parts most likely to give out during a hard freeze. Exterior walls, garage runs and hose bibs on the north side of a house deserve extra attention in January.

Under WSSC rules most plumbing in Montgomery County, including repairs to the water service line, has to be done by a plumber registered with WSSC Water under a WSSC permit. A plumber can tell you whether your repair needs one.

If the home has lawn irrigation, WSSC says a reduced-pressure backflow assembly should be taken off and stored somewhere warm for the winter; one left outside can crack in the cold.

Before the plumber gets there

• Keep the main closed and open a low faucet to drain the lines.
• Turn off power to an electric water heater, or set a gas unit to pilot.
• Move furniture, rugs and boxes away from the water.
• Take photos and video for insurance before cleanup.
• Clear a path to the break and to the main valve.