At some point in your life, you’ve probably experienced a plumbing emergency where you panicked and didn’t know what to do. If you haven’t experienced this yet, then lucky you! However, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you in the future, so it’s best to be prepared and know what to do when the situation comes.
A plumbing emergency involves different parts of a water system and each situation requires certain procedures to fix them. However, there are things you can do to control the situation, and these can apply to most plumbing emergencies. Here are some steps to follow to get a handle on a plumbing emergency:
1. Shut off the water valve
You don’t want to have the water running continuously during an emergency or you’ll be wasting it. When a plumbing situation arises, immediately close off the source to prevent serious leakage and a waste of water. In most cases, you can shut off the water valve in the places where the emergency is happening, like in the bathroom or the kitchen. This will avoid losing all sources of water while you wait for a plumber to fix your systems.
2. Turn off the water heater
For some serious plumbing problems, it’s necessary to turn off the water heater. As such, you will need to go directly to the main valve and shut it off. Doing this will prevent the water heater from getting seriously damaged, which also prevents subsequent bursting that can break your system’s tubings. If you’re using a gas water heater, it’s important to turn the gas off first for safety reasons.
3. Block leakages
A seemingly small problem can lead to major ones. Letting a leakage run and not addressing it right away can flood your home and will cost you a lot of money. Control the leaks when you spot them by stuffing rags and towels in them. For leaks coming from above, use empty buckets to collect the water to prevent flooding.
4. Open up drains and spigots
Turning off the valves doesn’t immediately stop the water from running. Water will remain in the pipes and most of the time, this can be enough to flood your home and cause more problems. To avoid this from happening, open up drains and spigots outside the house to drain the water in the pipes.
5. Call a plumber right away
Most people tend to let a few minutes or even hours pass before calling the plumber. It can be due to the panic but remember to always call the plumber as soon as you spot a leak or when an emergency occurs. Calling a plumber right away will ensure that help will be there as soon as possible, avoiding further damages to your property.
Calling a plumber and describing the situation will also allow the plumber to assess the situation and can advise you to leave the area right away if the situation can be harmful or life-threatening.
Conclusion
When faced with a plumbing emergency, the first thing to remember is that you shouldn’t panic. Addressing the situation calmly will allow you to get the problem solved right away and without much stress. Lastly, most plumbing situations can only be fixed by professionals, so call them right away when you detect a problem, otherwise the problem may escalate.
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