The first five minutes after a pipe lets go
Water from a split pipe can soak a ceiling in minutes, so speed matters more than neatness. Stopping the flow is the one job that cannot wait for a plumber. Our emergency line runs 24/7, and the steps below keep the damage small until a truck reaches you.
- Shut the main valve. It is usually where the water line enters the house, often in a basement, utility room or garage. MDC advises marking and testing this valve before you ever need it.
- Open the lowest faucet in the house and flush the toilets to drain what is left in the pipes.
- Turn off power to wet rooms at the breaker panel. Do not stand in water to reach the panel. If the panel is wet, stay out and call 911.
- Turn off the water heater's power or gas control so it does not run dry.
- Move furniture, rugs and electronics off the floor, and lay towels to slow the spread.
- Call (860) 397-8103 and tell the dispatcher where the pipe is and whether the water has stopped.
If you smell gas at any point, leave the building and call the gas utility or 911 before calling a plumber.
Before we arrive
Four jobs that make the repair faster and the cleanup smaller.
Stop the water
Close the main valve and drain the system through the lowest tap. If the valve will not turn, say so on the phone, because it changes what we bring.
Kill power to wet areas
Switch off breakers that feed the wet room, basement or ceiling lights. Leave any breaker you cannot reach safely.
Clear a path
Move belongings away from the broken pipe and from the route to the shutoff. We need room to open the wall or ceiling.
Call the 24/7 line
Give your address, the pipe location and what you see. Same-day appointments are available when the schedule allows, and night calls are answered.
When a burst pipe is an emergency
Treat it as an emergency when water is spraying, a ceiling is sagging, water is near electrical outlets, or you cannot close the main valve. A pipe that drips slowly into a bucket can often wait until morning. A pipe that is running will not, and we answer after-hours calls for exactly this.
If the house valve fails, MDC can shut the water off at its end. Its command center for water and sewer emergencies is (860) 278-7850, press 1. MDC owns the meter, so do not try to remove or force it.
Why Connecticut winters split pipes
Water expands when it freezes, and a pipe has nowhere to let the pressure go. The split usually opens in the ice-clogged stretch, but the water only floods out after the ice melts. That is why many burst pipes are found on a thaw day, when the house warms up and the leak finally starts.
Exterior walls
Supply lines tucked against a cold wall, especially on a north side, lose their heat first when the temperature drops.
Crawl spaces and garages
Unheated areas hold water lines with only a thin cover. A draft from a vent or a gap in the sill plate is enough to freeze them.
Hose bibs
A hose left on an outdoor spigot traps water inside the pipe. The split often sits inside the wall behind the spigot.
Basement ceilings
Lines running through joists near a rim wall sit close to outside air, even in a finished-looking basement.
A pipe is frozen but has not split yet
If a faucet gives only a trickle or nothing in a cold snap, one line is probably frozen. Open that faucet and leave it open so melting ice has somewhere to go. Then warm the pipe slowly. Never use a torch or open flame, because it can scorch framing and crack a weak pipe.
Safe steps for a frozen line
These steps lower the chance of a split. If you see a bulge, a crack or water, stop and call.
- Keep the main valve within reach so you can close it fast.
- Open the affected faucet before applying any heat.
- Use a hair dryer or a heating pad on the pipe, working from the faucet end toward the frozen section.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls to let room heat in.
- Do not heat a pipe near insulation or paper that could ignite.
- Call a plumber if the pipe does not thaw, if you cannot see the frozen section, or if any fitting weeps.
Water is running and will not stop
Close the main valve, then call Call (860) 397-8103. Tell us the pipe type if you know it and whether power is off. We take burst pipe calls through the night.
Cracked, corroded and joint failures that are not frozen
The town's draft plan puts about 52 percent of Bloomfield housing at pre-1970 construction. Plenty of supply lines in those houses have decades of wear behind them, and age alone can split a pipe.
Not every burst happens in winter. A cracked elbow behind a vanity, a pinhole in half-inch copper, a failed PVC connector or a washing machine hose that lets go can look the same: spraying or pooling water that appears suddenly. These failures come from age, corrosion, pressure spikes or a poor joint, and the repair differs from a freeze split.
We find the source, cut out the damaged piece and replace it with new pipe or a fitting made for that material. For copper we may sweat in a new section. For PEX we crimp or expand a new connection. When the same line keeps failing in new places, we will say so honestly and show you the case for repiping instead of patching again.
How the repair goes
Locate the break
We trace the wet area back to the split. In walls and ceilings we open the smallest access that reaches the pipe.
Test the rest of the line
A freeze often weakens more than one section. We pressure-test nearby pipe and check fittings for hidden cracks.
Replace the damaged section
We cut out the split and install new pipe sized and rated for the line, with fresh couplings or valves as needed.
Turn the water on and verify
We bring pressure up slowly, check every joint for weeping and show you the finished repair before we close up.
Repair choices after the split
| Option | Best when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Short section replaced | One clean split, pipe otherwise sound | Fast, but weak points elsewhere remain |
| Coupling or repair fitting | Small pinhole or clean crack on accessible pipe | Quick, depends on pipe condition |
| Full run replaced | Pipe splits repeatedly in one wall or crawl space | More work now, fewer repeat calls |
| Reroute away from exterior wall | The pipe froze because of its location | Costs more, prevents the next freeze |
| Temporary shutoff | Parts are not available at night | Water off to a zone until the repair |
What drives the cost of a burst pipe repair
The same split can be a short job or a long one. These are the factors that decide it.
Ask your insurer before you rely on coverage. A freeze split is the kind of sudden event many policies pay for, while wear and slow leaks are usually treated differently, and some policies add conditions about heating the home. Keep photos and receipts.
Call (860) 397-8103 for the real number. We tell you the clear price before work starts.
Water damage, drying and what we do not handle
Our work stops at the plumbing. We repair the pipe, restore water pressure and confirm the system holds. Drying walls, removing wet drywall and testing for mold belong to restoration contractors, and we do not diagnose mold or health effects. Ask your doctor about symptoms and your insurer about restoration coverage.
Replacing a failed section with new pipe is new work under Bloomfield's rules, and the Building Division enforces the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code, which is built on the IPC. Expect a trade permit and an inspection for that part of the job.
If the break is on the buried line between the street and your house, see our page on water service line repair. For hidden wet spots with no visible burst, our leak detection service traces the source. We also reach Windsor homeowners, as described on our Windsor plumber page.
Burst pipe questions
Yes. Our emergency line at (860) 397-8103 runs 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. Close the main valve, drain the lowest faucet and call. We dispatch a licensed plumber for active breaks and arrange same-day work for lesser leaks when the schedule allows.
Shut the main valve, open the lowest faucet to relieve pressure, turn off power to wet areas if you can do it safely, then call. Do not walk through standing water near outlets or the electrical panel.
Sometimes. Open the faucet, warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, and never use an open flame. Call a plumber if you cannot find the frozen section, the pipe is bulging, or any joint leaks.
Ice often seals a split until it melts. The pipe cracked during the freeze, and the water only escapes as the ice turns to water. That is why leaks appear on a thaw day.
Call the MDC command center at (860) 278-7850 and press 1. MDC can close the water at the street. Then call us so the repair can start as soon as the water is off.
Stopping a leak in a pipe is permit-exempt in Bloomfield if nothing is replaced or rearranged. Replacing a concealed section with new pipe is new work that needs a plumbing permit and inspection. Ask the Building Division (860-769-3516) about your case.
Ask your insurer. Policies usually respond to sudden water damage and not to wear or slow leaks, and exact terms vary. Photos taken before cleanup help the claim.