Burst Pipe Repair in Sugar Hill, GA

Sugar Hill mails as Buford (ZIP 30518), but water and sewer come from Gwinnett County's Department of Water Resources, not the City of Buford. The city has no water department and sends water and sewer emergencies to Gwinnett at 678.376.7000. Gwinnett is responsible for the pipes that bring water to the meter; all plumbing between the meter and the home is the homeowner's. Sugar Hill does run its own natural gas system, so gas leaks go to the city's gas line at (770) 271-2137, not Atlanta Gas Light. Building Services takes permit applications, and Gwinnett County inspects water and sewer codes.

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. Drain the lines. Open the lowest faucet or a hose bib to let remaining water out and take pressure off the break.
3. Document the leak with pictures and a short video before you start drying anything out.
4. Put the water heater on hold: pilot setting for gas, breaker off for electric.
5. 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.

Reading the signs

What shapes the bill

• Whether there is more than one break. Plumbers check the whole cold run, since freezes rarely stop at one split.
• Extra work you choose, such as rerouting a line that keeps freezing or adding pipe insulation and frost-free hose bibs.
• Whether the leak is underground. Breaks on the buried line from the meter take excavation and backfill.
• The hour. A middle-of-the-night call costs more than one that can wait for business hours.
• Access. A split under a sink is a short job, while a pipe inside a finished wall or ceiling means opening it up first.
• Pipe type and condition. Brittle or corroded pipe near the break may need a longer section replaced.