Close the main valve, or switch off the well pump if the home has a private well, as soon as you see water coming from a burst pipe in Damascus. Then keep away from wet outlets until a plumber can trace and repair the break. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Damascus.
Signs a pipe has burst
- Water dripping from a basement ceiling or spreading across the floor
- A sudden fall in pressure at every faucet
- The sound of rushing water with every tap closed
- A well pump that keeps kicking on when nobody is using water
- Wet drywall or warped trim on an outside wall after a freeze
- A soggy area in the yard between the meter or wellhead and the house
A gushing break needs the main closed right away. A slow drip is less dramatic but can rot subfloors and grow mold if it runs for days.
Local conditions in Damascus
Damascus is a historically rural community in upper Montgomery County, ringed by farms and horse properties. About 35 percent of homes were built before 1980 and another 37 percent in the 1980s, which makes the housing older than in most of upcounty Montgomery. WSSC Water provides public water and sewer in the Damascus core and runs a small local wastewater plant here. Montgomery County gives each property a water and sewer service category, and outside the core some are set up for private wells and onsite wastewater systems, so check which you have.
On WSSC service, report a break in the street or near the meter to the Emergency Service Center at 301-206-4002. WSSC owns the service line from the main to the property line; the owner is responsible from there into the house.
What affects the price
- Access: unfinished basement, crawlspace, or a finished room that must be opened and patched
- Pipe material and the condition of older pipe next to the break
- A private well, which adds the pump, pressure tank and well line to check
- Digging for a buried line on your side of the property line
- Night, weekend or holiday timing
What happens when you call
You are connected with an independent plumber who covers Damascus. Mention whether you are on WSSC water or a well, where the water is showing and what pipe you can see. The plumber shuts off and drains the affected line if needed, opens access, replaces the damaged section and restores water while watching nearby joints. Most plumbing in Montgomery County, including service line work, is done by a plumber registered with WSSC Water under a WSSC permit, and that also applies to gas and propane appliance work.
Burst Pipe Repair questions in Damascus
How do I stop the water if the house is on a private well?
How do I know which water provider serves my address?
Who pays to fix a break between the street and the house?
Where do pipes usually freeze and split in a cold snap?
More plumbing services in Damascus
Burst Pipe Repair nearby
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