Burst Pipe Repair in Norcross, GA

Gwinnett County took over the City of Norcross water and sewer system in 2013 and replaced city meters with county meters. Gwinnett maintains the meter and the small pipe from the main to it; the private service line, the whole sewer lateral and any backflow preventer belong to the property owner. For a break at the meter or in the street, Gwinnett's 24-hour line is 678.376.7000. The City of Norcross still issues trade permits for plumbing and gas piping, and fixture work that alters piping needs one. The median home dates to 1990.

Your first ten minutes

1. Shut off the water at the main valve, usually near where the line comes into the house. If the house valve fails, the meter box holds a second valve that needs a meter key.
2. Get valuables out of the way, mop what you can and set buckets under drips. A sagging ceiling can be drained with a small hole over a bucket.
3. Drain the lines. Open the lowest faucet or a hose bib to let remaining water out and take pressure off the break.
4. Put the water heater on hold: pilot setting for gas, breaker off for electric.
5. Take photos and video of the break and the damage before cleanup, for insurance.

What you see and what it usually means

Cost factors to expect

• When you call. After-hours and holiday service usually carries a higher rate than a scheduled daytime visit.
• Whether there is more than one break. Plumbers check the whole cold run, since freezes rarely stop at one split.
• How easy the break is to reach: an open crawl space or basement costs less time than a pipe sealed behind tile or finished drywall.
• Digging. If the failure is on the buried line to the house, the job includes excavation.
• Extra work you choose, such as rerouting a line that keeps freezing or adding pipe insulation and frost-free hose bibs.
• The pipe material. Copper, CPVC and PEX splice in easily, while tying new pipe into old galvanized steel takes more fittings and time.