2:17 a.m. Sunday. Something woke me up. Not sure what. Got up to check. Walked to the basement stairs. Heard water running. Flipped light switch. Saw water. Everywhere. Part of our Real Plumbing Stories from NWA.
Flooded basement right now? Bearnwa handles emergency water damage. 479-321-1313. 24 hour response.
What I Saw
Water pouring from basement ceiling. Spraying from pipe junction near furnace. Standing water covering floor. 2-3 inches deep already. Still rising. Furniture floating. Storage boxes soaked. Panic mode activated.
What I Did Right
Ran to main water shutoff. Turned it clockwise until tight. Water stopped immediately. Well, stopped coming from the ceiling. Floor was still flooded. Called plumber. Bearnwa answered at 2:20 a.m. Plumber arrived at 3:45 a.m. See emergency response times. Started moving wet items while waiting. Salvaged what I could. Took photos for insurance. Good advice from 911 operator.
What I Did Wrong
Did not know where main shutoff was. Wasted 5 minutes searching basement in panic. Those 5 minutes added probably 500 gallons of water. Should have walked the house when we moved in. Located shutoff. Labeled it. Showed everyone. See preventive maintenance. Did not have plumber number saved. Wasted time Googling “emergency plumber near me” at 2 a.m. Save the number now. 479-321-1313. Before you need it. Did not have emergency fund. Water damage restoration cost $6,500. Insurance covered most but not all. Deductible was $2,000. Did not have it sitting around.
What the Plumber Found
Burst pipe at solder joint. Copper pipe to furnace humidifier. Joint failed from age and stress. 30-year-old solder. See pipe repair. Plumber cut out bad section. Installed new fitting. Pressure tested. Restored water by 5 a.m. Total plumbing repair: $485. Water damage restoration: $6,500. Plumbing was minor. Water damage was major.
The Timeline
See complete hour-by-hour timeline of what happened from first drip to final cleanup.
What It Cost
Emergency plumber service: $485 (after hours rate). Water extraction and drying: $3,200. Drywall replacement: $1,800. Flooring replacement: $1,500. Total: $6,985. Insurance paid: $4,985. Out of pocket: $2,000 deductible. See plumbing and restoration.
What I Learned
Know where main shutoff is. Everyone in house should know. Practice finding it in the dark. Label it clearly. Save plumber number before emergency. 479-321-1313 in phone now prevents panic Googling at 2 a.m. Old houses have old pipes. Solder joints fail. Fittings corrode. Pipes burst. Especially 30+ year old copper. See repiping costs. Water damage costs more than pipe repair. $485 plumbing. $6,500 restoration. Shutting water off 5 minutes faster saves thousands. Insurance deductible is real money. Have emergency fund. Something will break eventually. Better to have money ready.
What You Should Do Now
Find main water shutoff. Right now. Walk to it. Turn it. Make sure it works. Show everyone where it is. Save plumber number. Put in phone. Write on paper near shutoff. 479-321-1313 for Bearnwa. Check old pipes. Basement ceiling. Crawl space. Look for corrosion, rust, green deposits on copper. Signs of pending failure. Consider annual inspection. $150-300 pro inspection catches problems before 2 a.m. flood. See annual maintenance.
📞 Call 479-321-1313. Save it now. Use it if you need it. Hope you never do.