Burst pipe panic: what would you do?

If I can, I’ll always cut out and sweat in a new section, but for those middle-of-the-night calls... yeah, putty’s better than nothing.

Couldn’t agree more - epoxy’s a band-aid, not a cure. I’ve seen folks slap it on and forget about it, then wonder why the ceiling’s dripping a week later. Quick fix, but you gotta circle back and do it right when you can.

Epoxy and putty are fine for stopping the flood at 2am, but I’ve seen way too many “temporary” patches turn into permanent disasters. If you don’t cut out the bad section and sweat in new pipe, you’re just asking for trouble down the line. I get it - sometimes you just need to stop the water, but don’t trust those quick fixes for long. Had a call last month where someone used duct tape and a prayer... didn’t end well.

Before cleanup, photograph the failed pipe, the surrounding damage, and the shutoff if relevant, then note when the water was turned off. That can help with an insurance claim or landlord report, even when the repair itself is straightforward.

For anyone in that situation, do insurers or landlords usually want the damaged section left in place until they document it, or are clear photos generally enough?