Water Leak Detection22 September 2025

What to Do If You Have a Burst Pipe: Emergency Guide

Isolate. Photograph. Call. Document. The four moves that turn a burst-pipe emergency into a manageable insurance-ready incident.

A burst pipe is one of those emergencies that unfolds fast. Water spreads quickly, damage compounds by the minute, and the pressure to act — while panicking — is real. Knowing exactly what to do before it happens could save you tens of thousands of rands in water damage and insurance complications.

This guide walks you through exactly what to do when a pipe bursts, in the right order — from the first moment you discover it to the point where repairs are underway.

Step 1: Don't Panic — But Act Immediately

A burst pipe is serious, but it's manageable. The single most important thing you can do in the first 30 seconds is:

Shut off your water supply.

Find your main water isolation valve (usually near the water meter, at the boundary of your property, or inside a meter box) and turn it off. This immediately stops water flowing into the burst section and limits how much damage occurs.

If you don't know where your isolation valve is, find out now — before an emergency happens. Walk your property today and identify it.

Step 2: Turn Off Electricity in Affected Areas

If water is running near electrical fittings, switches, or the distribution board, turn off the electricity to that area at the circuit breaker. Water and electricity together create a serious electrocution risk.

If you're not sure which circuit controls the affected area, switch off the main breaker until you can safely assess the situation.

Step 3: Drain the System

Once the water supply is off, open all cold taps in the house to drain remaining water from the pipes — this reduces pressure in the system and limits further leakage from the burst point. Don't open hot taps until you've also turned off your geyser (see Step 4).

Step 4: Turn Off Your Geyser

If the burst pipe is related to your geyser, or if water is not available to your geyser, turn off the geyser at the electrical circuit breaker to prevent the element from running dry and burning out. This is an often-overlooked step that can turn a plumbing repair into a geyser replacement.

Step 5: Contain the Water Damage

While you're waiting for help to arrive, do what you can to limit water damage:

Mop up standing water as quickly as possible — the longer water sits, the deeper it soaks into floors, walls, and ceilings
Move furniture, rugs, electronics away from affected areas
Place towels or buckets under active drips if the burst is in a ceiling
Open windows and doors to improve airflow and begin drying the space

If water has soaked into walls or under flooring, document everything with photographs before you start cleaning up — you'll need this for your insurance claim.

Step 6: Photograph Everything

Before any repair work begins, photograph the burst pipe, the source of the water, and all visible damage. Do this even if you've already started mopping up. Insurers need photographic evidence of the condition immediately after the event — not after it's been cleaned up.

Take wide shots to show the overall context and close-up shots to show the specific damage. Timestamp them if your phone doesn't do it automatically.

Read more: How to Document a Water Leak for an Insurance Claim

Step 7: Call Your Insurer

Notify your insurer as soon as possible after the emergency — most policies require prompt notification. Have your policy number ready. Tell them:

When you discovered the burst
Which area of the property is affected
What immediate steps you've taken

Don't start any repair work until you've spoken to your insurer, unless it's necessary to prevent further damage. Some insurers require you to use their panel of approved contractors.

Step 8: Call a Qualified Plumber or Leak Detection Specialist

If the burst is on an accessible pipe — visible in a wall cavity, under a sink, or at a fitting — a qualified plumber can repair it directly. If the burst is in an in-slab pipe, an underground supply line, or anywhere else that isn't immediately visible, call a leak detection specialist first.

Here's why: cutting open a wall or breaking up a concrete floor to find a pipe is expensive and disruptive. If you don't know exactly where the burst is, a plumber will have to search for it — and that search costs time and money.

At Source Leak Detection, we use non-invasive leak detection to locate the exact point of failure — often to within a few centimetres — before any repair work begins. This means targeted repairs, not exploratory destruction.

We cover Pretoria, Centurion, Pretoria East, and surrounding areas, and offer same-day service.

How to Know If Your Burst Pipe Is Found or Hidden

Visible burst pipes (easier):

Under a sink or basin
At a gate valve or stopcock
At a geyser connection
Where a pipe exits a wall and is exposed

These can usually be repaired directly by a plumber once the water supply is isolated.

Hidden burst pipes (need detection):

In-slab pipes (embedded in your concrete floor slab)
Underground supply lines between the street meter and your house
Pipes inside walls or ceilings with no access panel
Underground pipes in your garden or driveway

If you're not sure which type you're dealing with, the signs will usually tell you: in-slab leaks often cause warm or wet patches on the floor, unexplained damp areas, or high water bills with no obvious cause.

What Causes Pipes to Burst?

Understanding why pipes burst can help you prevent future emergencies:

Age and corrosion — older galvanised steel pipes degrade from the inside and eventually fail
High water pressure — municipal pressure spikes, especially after maintenance work, can stress pipes beyond their rated tolerance
Ground movement — in Gauteng's expansive clay soils, seasonal soil movement can stress underground pipes
Tree roots — roots follow water and can crack or crush pipes over time
Freezing — rare in Pretoria but does occur during cold snaps; water expands as it freezes
Poor workmanship — fittings installed without proper support or sealing eventually fail

If you've had a burst pipe on an older property, it may be worth having your plumbing inspected — especially underground lines and in-slab pipes.

Emergency Temporary Repairs: Proceed With Caution

If you're waiting for a plumber and need to temporarily stop a small leak, there are a few options:

Pipe repair tape (available at hardware stores) can temporarily seal small cracks in accessible pipes
Pipe clamps or repair sleeves — available at plumbing suppliers — can hold a burst pipe together temporarily

These are not permanent repairs. They buy time, but the underlying pipe still needs to be properly fixed. Do not use these as long-term solutions — they can fail suddenly and cause more damage than the original burst.

After the Repair: Check for Residual Damage

Once the burst is fixed and water is restored, don't assume the incident is fully resolved. Check for:

Residual moisture in walls or floors — even after the surface dries, deeper moisture can remain and cause mould
Any other weak points in the same pipe run — if one section failed, nearby sections may be similarly corroded
Your water meter reading — run the system and check whether your meter is still moving when all taps are off. If it is, there may be a second leak you haven't found yet

A spike in your water bill after a repair is a red flag. Read our guide on high water bill but no visible leak to understand what to look for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My pipe burst in the wall and I can't see it — how do you find it? A: We use acoustic listening equipment and tracer gas to locate the leak without opening the wall. Once we know exactly where it is, your plumber makes a targeted, minimal-access repair.

Q: Will my insurance cover a burst pipe? A: Most policies cover sudden accidental damage from a burst pipe. You'll need a written report from a registered specialist and photographs taken before repair work begins. See our full guide: does home insurance cover water leaks in SA?

Q: How much does emergency leak detection cost? A: Between R800 and R2,500 for most residential properties. Read our full cost breakdown: how much does leak detection cost in South Africa?

Q: Can I fix a burst pipe myself? A: For accessible pipes, a competent DIYer can sometimes make a temporary repair. But in-slab and underground pipes require professional detection and repair — not something to attempt without the right equipment.

Q: How quickly can you come out? A: We offer same-day service across Pretoria, Centurion, and Pretoria East. Call us as soon as you discover the problem.

Call Source Leak Detection — Same-Day Emergency Response

Source Leak Detection has been responding to emergency leak situations in Pretoria and Centurion for over 17 years. NSPI-registered · IPA-registered. Non-invasive methods. Written reports accepted by insurers. 3-year guarantee.

📞 Call us now for same-day assistance — or request a quote online.

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