How to fix a burst pipe?

A burst pipe is classed as a water emergency – it can cause serious damage to your home's structure and electrical wiring. It's vital to take action as soon as you discover a burst pipe.

 They say follow these directions to get things back to normal fast:

1.       Turn off the water supply

Turn off the main stop tap. You should find this under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe enters your home.

2.       Drain the system

Then drain the system by turning on all your cold taps and flushing your toilets.

3.       Turn off water heating systems

Switch off the central heating, immersion heater and any other water heating systems. If the central heating uses solid fuel, let this die out. Once water heating has shut down, turn on the hot taps to help drain the system.

4.       Turn off the electrics

If water leaks near your electrics or electrical appliances, switch off the mains immediately. If the mains switch is wet, don't touch it or you could risk electrocution! Call a qualified electrician immediately.

5.       Be safe

If water has been leaking through for some time and the ceilings are bulging, rooms may not be safe to enter. If you notice the leak quickly you can catch dripping water in buckets. If the ceiling starts to bulge, punch a small hole in it with a screwdriver to let the water drain.

6.       Fix the problem

If the leak is in a screw fitting, see if you can tighten it. If the pipe is split or pierced with a nail then it needs to be repaired. Buy a DIY kit which replaces the broken part with a piece of new pipe. Full instructions will be included. If you're at all unsure about doing the job yourself, call in a professional plumber to repair the problem.

I say switch to PP-R

PP-R was one of the first plastic materials to replace metal for indoor pipe applications. Developed by Chemische Werke Hüls, now Sabic, PP-R at that time became increasingly popular in Western Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy. For example, PP-R was the most widely used plastic pipe material in Italy at the peak of its success.

Even compared to other pipe, for example PE-X pipe or aluminium composite pipe which may have superior properties for certain areas of application, PP-R pipe are still the product of choice for construction planers/architects and processors in many markets.

PP-R pipe systems still have one of the best cost-value ratios of all pipe materials and pipe systems used for hot water installations.

Statistical random PP copolymer (PP-R) contains monomer residues arranged according to a known statistical rule. Further reduced crystallinity provides for significantly higher flexibility and impact strength.

Good creep rupture strength and aging resistance at raised temperatures in conjunction with good impact strength have made PP-R one of the most widely used pipe materials for indoor potable water transport.