Are You Dealing With a Plumbing Emergency? Essential Tips to Know
Plumbing emergencies happen. Are you dealing with a plumbing emergency? These tips explain what to do and how to handle it until the plumber arrives.
Did you know that plumbing can be traced back to 3,000 BC? That’s right—believe it or not but archaeologists discovered water pipes that date back thousands of years in India.
Let’s face it, though—most of us probably don’t think about plumbing on a regular basis. If anything, it’s something you only think about when something goes wrong!
Want to know what to do in the case of a plumbing emergency? If so, you’re on the right page! We’ll be sharing some essential tips below.
Keep reading to find out what they are!
5 Tips for Handling a Plumbing Emergency
Faced with a plumbing emergency? Be sure to call for an emergency plumber. In the meantime, here are a few things that might help with the situation:
- Shut the Water Off
Turn off the closest water source as soon as you can. For instance, turn the valve at the base if you’re dealing with a toilet—that will prevent additional water from gushing out.
For larger emergencies (e.g. flooding in the house), you’ll want to shut off the main valve. To do so, turn the valve in a clockwise direction.
- Identify Small Leaks
Tackle small leaks if they’re easy to identify. The goal is to stop the water from leaking as soon as possible.
Consider blocking the leak with old towels or rags—that will prevent further damage to your home. Alternatively, you can seal it with some plumber’s tape.
Make a note of the locations of the leaks so that you can tell your plumber as soon as he arrives.
- Open Spigots and Drains
Water can still be in your pipes even if you’ve turned the valve off. As you can imagine, that can contribute to the leak.
What should you do? Open the spigots and drains outside your home—that will allow you to remove the water without damaging your property. Avoid using chemical treatments as that can worsen the problem before the plumber arrives.
- Don’t Rely on DIY
Don’t try to fix the plumbing problem yourself—that can do more harm than good. What you want to do instead is to call for an emergency plumber (consider putting their number on your fridge).
Don’t wait; you want to act fast—that will help minimize the damage in your home.
- Assess the Damage
If possible, assess the extent of the damage before calling the plumber—that way, you can provide them with the information over the phone.
With that, they won’t have to spend extra time assessing the situation upon arrival; they can get the right to fix the issue.
Dealing With Plumbing Issues
And there we have it—five tips for handling a plumbing emergency. If anything, the most important thing is to call a plumber right away!
Do you have any other tips that you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments section below!
