At some point, almost every home will experience a plumbing emergency. Depending on the homeowner’s definition of an emergency, it may mean anything from dripping faucets to scalding hot water, a leaking water heater, or even broken pipes. These situations can be stressful and scary, especially if it’s your first time. Fortunately, you can prepare and learn how to handle any plumbing situation that might pop up so that you can take control until a member of our team is available to assist you.
If you find yourself in an emergency, of course, you will want to make that call right away. Until we can get to you, however, you should know how to take immediate action on your own, in order to protect your home from further damage. Here are the steps that you need to follow:
Keep Calm
While plumbing emergencies can be very stressful, the best thing that you can do is stay calm and level headed. Because the severity of the damage to your home depends largely on how quickly you react, you need to be able to think logically and follow these instructions step-by-step once you call for assistance.
Shut off the Water
In any plumbing emergency, the first thing you’ll need to do is to stop the water flow. Make sure that you know where your main water shutoff valve is located, as well as the shutoffs for each individual fixture or appliance around your home. Always turn valves clockwise to shut them off.
Turn off the Water Heater
If you have a gas water heater, turn the gas line off that connects to the water heater or turn the unit off if you’ve already turned off the main water valve. It’s important to shut these off because pressure and hot water will build up in your unit, which is most definitely hazardous to the occupants of your home. The unit itself could overheat, causing someone severe burns, or even burst, causing any number of new problems.
Open Your Outside Spigots
This is a step that most people don’t think to do, but it is key to avoiding further water damage. Once you’ve shut off the main water source, turn on all of your outside spigots so that the pipes can drain. This directs the water outside of your house instead of building up inside where it could further damage your property.
Seal up Small Leaks
If you are able to stop any residual leaking, do try. Items like plumber’s epoxy and Teflon tape are handy for blocking loose joints with small leaks. If you don’t have either on hand, simply wrapping a towel around a leak or putting a large bucket under it can help save your home from water damage.
Unclog Your Drains
We’ve all had to unclog drains at one point or another, and fortunately, there are a lot of tools and resources available to aid in this task. If, however, a do-it-yourself method doesn’t work and your drain continues to back up, stop using that particular fixture or appliance and call a professional for assistance.
If you have concerns about your home’s plumbing, contact a member of our team at 630-599-8225 as soon as the issue arises. When you call Tritan Plumbing, you will always receive prompt and courteous service.
