If you encounter an emergency plumbing repair situation, panic is a common – and understandable – response.
It’s important to keep a clear head, however, or the problem could become significantly worse before the plumber arrives. If a pipe bursts, the toilet overflows or the water heater springs a leak, serious water damage can occur in a short amount of time.
Knowing what to do in case of a sudden plumbing emergency can help avoid additional hassle and expense.
Turn Off the Water In an Emergency Plumbing Repair Situation
Plumbing repair emergencies typically involve a large volume of water rushing out of a pipe or overflowing fixture. Before you do anything else, you must stop the flow. Otherwise, the resulting water damage can be a costly nightmare to repair.
Before you experience the inevitable plumbing emergency, learn how to stop the flow.
First, locate your home’s main water shut-off valve. Most main values are located outside the home along an exterior wall. Once you locate it, mark it for easy identification. You can do this by painting the valve red to tying a brightly colored plastic flag to it.
Next, test the valve to ensure it works. Because it is rarely used, the valve can become stuck or frozen over time. If it doesn’t operate, or if it doesn’t fully shut off your home’s water, call a plumber to have it replaced immediately.
Make sure that everyone in your household knows where the main value is located and how to shut off the water, in case you aren’t home when the emergency occurs.
Finally, locate the shut-offs for each individual faucet, plumbing fixture and appliance in your home. That way, if only one fixture is causing the problem, you can turn off that valve to stop the damage more quickly.
Call a 24-Hour Plumbing Repair Service
As soon as you have the flow of water stopped, it’s time to contact an emergency repair service. Of course, not all plumbing emergencies occur during business hours. So what if yours happens in the middle of the night or early on a weekend morning?
Some professional plumbers – including American Plumbing Services – are always available to perform emergency repairs. To quickly get help for your problem, program our emergency phone number into your phone and post the number near your home phone (if you have one).
Make sure your family members also know where to find this important emergency number.
Clear the Area Where Emergency Plumbing Repair is Needed
While you are waiting for our emergency plumber to arrive, you can take additional steps to minimize the amount of water damage. Removing as much moisture as possible is key to avoiding mold growth and other damage.
Grab a mop or a wet-dry vacuum to soak up standing water. Or, lay towels down to absorb it. If you have a dehumidifier, move it to the damaged area and switch it on. If not, you can point fans at the wet areas. (But be extremely careful when plugging in electric appliances in an area that’s wet!)
Remove furniture and other objects – especially electronics and upholstered items – from the area. This will protect them from further damage and ensure that they won’t interfere with the plumber’s ability to make the necessary repairs.
Whenever you have a plumbing problem, day or night, call the professionals at American Plumbing Services immediately. We’re available for emergencies around the clock, serving customers throughout the greater Provo, Utah area.
Remember American Plumbing Services whenever you need regular or emergency plumbing repair services.
