For Business owners and Homeowners: 4 Steps to take if your water heater bursts

Would you know what to do if your hot water heater bursts?

Recently our team was called out to a business in Marlton, NJ on a bright and beautiful Monday morning.

The employees arrived to work on time only to find a tsunami of water waiting for them as they opened the door.

The cause?

Sometime over the weekend their next door neighbor’s water heater burst.

There was so much water it flowed into their suite from the office next door.

But while it might not seem so, these folks were extremely lucky!

Why?

First because the hot water heater didn’t start a fire while it was continuing to empty.

Second, because the owners of the business called their insurance agent who referred the work to PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services.

And, third, and most importantly, the damage was contained, mitigated and repaired with no loss or down-time for the business!

So, what do you do if your water heater bursts?

Here are the 4 steps to take if your water heater bursts:

1. First, Stop the Water!

Locate the cold water supply pipe on your unit. This is the pipe that leads from the main water line into the top of the water heater. When working properly, water stops flowing when the tank is full. But, if the tank bursts, the tank will keep trying to fill. As it does, water is pushed out into the room. To stop the water, turn off the cold water supply line by twisting the valve clockwise until it can’t turn anymore.

2.  Next, Shut Off the Power!

An electric or gas heating element in your water heater is designed to be submerged. Once the tank bursts, the heating element poses a fire hazard to your home or business if it continues to run without water surrounding it. Heating elements in hot water heaters are designed to shut off after the water reaches a certain temperature, but if your tank bursts because of a faulty thermostat, it probably won’t shut off by itself. To manually shut off the power, locate and flip the breaker for the hot water tank in your electrical breaker box. If the hot water heater is gas-powered, shut off the gas line leading to it, and vacate the building until the natural gas smell is completely gone.

3.  Now, it’s time to cleanup the mess!
Call PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services at 877-750-7876 as soon as you can.

Having a flood of 40 to 100 gallons of water in your home or business is more than an ordinary shop vac can handle. In situations like this, you want the experts with the proper equipment and meters to make sure the area is completely dry. If it isn’t dried completely – and fast – mold and bacteria are sure to grow.
Our water damage specialists will remove any undamaged furniture, boxes or other salvageable items from the water-damaged area. Then, we take photos of the items that are damaged, as well as the walls, floors and other fixtures that are covered or soaked with water. The photos will help your homeowner’s or business owner’s insurance company determine the cost to repair or replace the items.

4. And last, make sure you call your insurance agent!

Contact your insurance agent or company to make a claim. Don’t throw away your hot water tank. An insurance adjuster will need to see it to determine the cause of the burst and whether the company will pay for damages caused by the burst. The cost of replacing the water heater itself is usually not covered.  But, nearly anything else damaged by the water will be covered, less your deductible of course.