With a burst pipe in a Doraville home, turn off the main valve right away and keep clear of wet electrical. A plumber can splice in new pipe and check the run for more damage. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Doraville.
Doraville's older stock and DeKalb water
Doraville grew up around the old General Motors assembly plant, and its housing is older than most of the metro: the median home dates to 1975 and about 60% predate 1980. Many of those houses have crawl-space plumbing and pipe that has been repaired in sections, which leaves more joints for a freeze to pull apart.
DeKalb County Watershed Management supplies water. It owns the line through the meter, typically in a pit outside, and the owner is responsible from the meter to the house. For a leak at the meter, call DeKalb's 24-hour repair line at 770-270-6243. Plumbing work in the city goes on Doraville's Trade Permit Application through Cloudpermit, and every permit needs a notarized property-owner affidavit, so allow time for that on larger repairs. A plumber can still stop an active leak right away.
Choosing the right repair
| What the plumber finds | Usual fix |
|---|---|
| One split in copper or plastic that is otherwise sound | Spot repair with a short new section |
| Galvanized pipe rusting through around the break | Replace the corroded run |
| A crawl-space line beside a foundation vent | Repair, insulate and close the vent gap |
| Leak on the yard line on your side of the meter | Excavate and repair or replace |
| A failed washer or toilet hose | Replace the connector |
What a burst usually looks like
- Hissing or rushing sounds inside a wall when the house is quiet
- Wet insulation or a pool of water in the crawl space
- Standing water near the meter box on your side of the meter
- A stain overhead that grows larger by the hour
- Weak flow throughout the house that started suddenly
- Running or spraying water anywhere along an exposed pipe run
- A meter dial or low-flow indicator that keeps moving overnight
Why leaks show up after the cold
Not every burst is weather related. Worn supply hoses on washing machines, toilets and sinks, high water pressure and corroded fittings can fail any month of the year. Still, calls cluster around hard freezes, when pipes in unheated spaces split and then leak as they thaw.
Burst Pipe Repair questions in Doraville
Does a burst pipe repair need a permit?
Who is responsible for a leak between the water meter and the house?
Why did the leak start only after the pipes thawed?
My water bill jumped. Could a hidden break be the cause?
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