Every homeowner is bound to experience a plumbing emergency at some point, which is a somewhat scary and stress-inducing thought. Emergencies can insight panic in the moment, but these steps will help you tackle the problem quickly and avoid those hectic feelings.
1. Turn Off the Water
When you see water spraying everywhere or pooling on the ground, your first instinct is to run the other way. However, turning off the water as quickly as possible is the best way to contain the emergency quickly.
If the source of the problem is something as small as the toilet, simply braving the flood to turn off the water to the toilet should do the trick. For bigger problems, turning off all water to your home is required. Make sure to know where your water main is anytime you move into a new home.
2. Check on Your Water Heater
In a bigger plumbing emergency, it’s a good idea to turn off your water heater to avoid damage to the system. If your water heater runs on gas, turn off the gas before turning off the water heater.
3. Look for Small Leaks
Now that the water supply is cut off, patching any small, easily identifiable leaks will mitigate damage. Keeping plumbers tape on hand or stuffing rags around leaking pipes will help prevent further water damage.
4. Open Spigots
Even though the water supply is turned off, your home’s pipes will still be full of water. That could continue to cause damage. Open your outdoor drains and spigots to remove the water from your plumbing system away from the damaged area.
5. Call a Plumber for Advice
Congratulations! You’ve now contained your plumbing emergency. Now it’s time to call a plumber for advice. If the problem can wait until business hours, contact a reliable plumber in the morning. If it can’t, try to find a company with 24/7 emergency plumbing services.
Mr. Plumber is proud to provide full plumbing services to residents in the San Antonio area. There’s no job our expert plumbers can’t handle.
Contact us today for more information or help regarding a plumbing emergency.
