If there is a plumbing emergency in your house, you should call a professional to fix it as soon as possible.
From this article, you’ll get to know what else you should do to prevent damage.
If you detect problems with water or gas in your house, you should call a plumber. In case of an emergency, you should act quickly to prevent damage to your house and belongings — and probably also to your health.
From this article, you’ll get to know what exactly you should do after you notice a plumbing problem.
Plus, you’ll discover valuable recommendations on choosing a reliable plumber and minimizing the repair costs.
Contents
1. Don’t Panic
Any rash action might only aggravate the problem and lead to higher expenses. Instead, you should be ready to make rational decisions.
Warn all your family members about the situation. If there is a weird smell, you might want to inform your neighbors too.
2. Turn Off the Water to the House
You should do it immediately if you’re experiencing flooding. Do you have any idea where the main water valve is located?
If not, you might want to find it out in advance, before the emergency takes place.
Turning off the water won’t fix the issue — but at least, it should lessen the amount of damage to your home and possessions.
3. Close Valves Local to the Issue
Apart from the main valve, there are others that you can use to locally stop the flow of water. Typically, there should be one behind the toilet.
Plus, there should be two under the sink — these control the flow of hot and cold water.
Closing them might serve as a temporary way out if any of them is leaking or overflowing.
4. Open Drains and Spigots
After the main water valve is shut off, there will still be water in your pipes.
To get rid of it, you should turn on any spigots that are outside of your home.
If you’re experiencing a small clog, you might want to try to open the drain with a plunger.
Please avoid using any chemical substances because they might lead to greater harm.
5. Switch Off the Electrical Appliances
The flooding should not reach any electrical sources of your house.
Electricity can travel through the water, so it might pose a threat to people and animals’ lives.
Once you detect water leaking, you should turn off the main electrical switch of your house.
Don’t forget to turn off the water heater. If you have an electrical one, you should do so after the main water valve is shut.
This should prevent heat from welling up inside, which would otherwise raise the risk of bursting or overheating. If you have a gas water heater, you should always turn the gas off first.
6. Block Kids and Animals From the Area
The plumber might ask you to do so because pets and children might disturb them.
But there is another reason for keeping the smallest ones away from leaking water.
Sewage can cause serious health problems if ingested or absorbed through cuts on the skin.
Sometimes, you can detect sewage contamination in the water judging by the smell. But even if there is no smell, it would be wise to play safe.
7. Clean as Much as You Can
The more water in your house, the more you’ll need to pay to restore the damaged flooring, walls, furniture and other items.
Try to remove as much water as possible while the plumber is on their way.
8. Avoid DIY Repairs
If you lack skills and knowledge, you shouldn’t try to fix the problem with your own hands.
Modern appliances and systems are costly and complicated. If you do something wrong, the price of the repairs might increase drastically.
9. Call an Emergency Plumber
Ideally, you should have contacts from several plumbing companies on your phone. A high-quality service provider should match the following criteria:
- Be ready to answer clients’ calls 24/7
- Be able to send an emergency plumber to your house immediately after you call them
- Have an insurance
- Hire only licensed and experienced professionals that can handle equipment of any type and by any brand
- Have an impeccable reputation and a lot of impartial positive reviews
- Offer affordable prices
- Carry out a free estimate before they start the repair
When you call a plumber, they might share some recommendations on what you can do to improve the situation before they arrive.
Please listen to them attentively and follow their instructions as precisely as you can.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article came in handy and now you better understand what you should do in case of a plumbing emergency.
You should turn off the water supply to your house, switch off electrical appliances and open drains and spigots.
Try to avoid panic, clean as much as you can and block kids and animals from the area.
Don’t try to fix the issue yourself because it might lead to greater problems and higher expenses.
Instead, call a skilled and experienced emergency plumber.