Emergency Brief

A pipe burst at 2 a.m. Here is exactly what to do in the first thirty minutes.

Most of the damage we invoice for was not caused by the burst. It was caused by the ninety minutes after it, when nobody was sure what to touch first.

A half-inch supply line under a sink moves roughly nine gallons a minute. By the time you have found a torch and figured out where the shut-off valve lives, the water is already under the skirting board and travelling along the joists into rooms you have not looked at yet. Drywall wicks upward. Water moves sideways. Neither of those things wait for morning.

What follows is the sequence our crews run when they walk into a live escape of water — condensed into what you can safely do yourself while we are en route.

Electricity before water, always

If water has reached an outlet, an extension lead, or the floor of a room with a live appliance, do not walk in. Kill the breaker for that circuit from a dry position. If the consumer unit itself is in the affected area, stay out and tell the dispatcher when you call — we bring an electrician on jobs like that.

Shut the main, then drain the line

Closing the stopcock stops the supply, but the pipework above it is still full. Open the lowest tap in the property — usually an outside tap or a ground-floor sink — and let gravity empty the system. Otherwise the remaining water in the pipes keeps feeding the leak for several more minutes.

If you cannot find the stopcock, it is almost always within a metre of where the mains enters the building: under the kitchen sink, in a downstairs cupboard, or in the garage on the wall shared with the street.

Get the contents up off the floor

Furniture legs are where the expensive damage hides. Stained wood legs bleed into wet carpet within hours and the mark does not come out — the carpet gets replaced for the sake of a sofa nobody moved. Slide squares of kitchen foil or plastic lids under every leg, or lift the piece entirely.

Lift first: rugs, cardboard boxes, anything with dye in it.
Then protect: furniture legs, radiator covers, skirting-level electronics.
Leave alone: sagging ceilings. A bulging ceiling holds a lot of weight and it is not your job to be under it.

“The homeowners who save the most money are not the ones who mop the fastest. They are the ones who photograph the room before they touch a thing.”

Then stop, and let the drying be professional

Fans blowing across a wet carpet feel productive and, without dehumidification, they simply move moisture into the drywall and into the air of the next room. Extraction, air movement and dehumidification have to happen together, and the equipment has to stay until moisture readings — not appearances — say the structure is dry.

why Choose Dry South

Trusted. Always Ready.

24/7 Emergency

We're available around the clock to respond quickly when disaster strikes.

Certified Experts

Highly trained restoration professionals delivering safe and reliable solutions.

Insurance Assistance

We work directly with your insurance provider to simplify the claims process.

Latest Equipment

Using advanced restoration technology for faster drying, cleaning, and recovery.

Rapid Response

Fast arrival times to minimize damage and begin restoration immediately.

Locally Trusted

Proudly serving our community with dependable service and exceptional customer care.

Our happy clients

Trusted by homeowners and businesses for fast response, expert restoration, and exceptional customer service.

“We had a pipe burst in the middle of the night, and the Dry South team arrived within an hour. They quickly removed the water, explained…”

“After discovering mold in our basement, Dry South handled everything professionally. Their team was knowledgeable, respectful…”

“We were devastated after a small kitchen fire, but Dry South made the restoration process stress-free. They restored our home beautifully…”