Any homeowner understands the panic and worry that a plumbing emergency brings. Especially if you are not well-versed in the basics of plumbing, it can seem like an impossible task to take care of. But if you know the important firsts that one should think about the moment the emergency happens, you can help minimize the risks and the damage.
Here are the first things you should do the moment you encounter a plumbing emergency:
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Turn off the main valve
Especially when you have water flowing all over the place, you would have to stop the source first and foremost. Letting the water flow all around will only make the water damage bigger and more expensive to take care of. If you have no idea where the main valve is, get ready as early as now. Find out where it is and find out how to turn it off. Don’t wait until the emergency comes before equipping yourself with such valuable information.
Turn off the water heater
If you feel that the water heater is involved in the emergency, check on it right away and turn it off. Letting it run through an emergency could cause severe damage to it. Especially when the heat inside it accumulates, there is a huge chance that it would overheat and burst when left alone. In the case of a gas water heater, turn off the gas source first.
Assess the damage
Look at your surroundings and see what the extent of the damage is. If there’s any water that you could clean up at the moment, you can try taking care of it now before the water spreads and ruin your furniture. Be on the lookout for possible damage in corners you may not easily see. Sometimes, the biggest damage comes from areas that are well-hidden.
Call the experts
Plumbing is not exactly something you should be trying to DIY as it could cause serious damage to your structure, to your fixtures, and to your other belongings. This is why in any plumbing emergency, you have to prioritize calling the real professionals first. A professional emergency plumber would know exactly what to do in any kind of situation. An expert would also know what long-term fix to apply. This means that once they have taken care of the situation, you won’t be expecting the same problem to reoccur over and over again within a short amount of time.
Truly, a plumbing emergency can greatly affect your day. It’s not just about the possible damage. It’s also about your routine being ruined, and your time being given to something that’s not even in your schedule. What if you had something important planned for the day? A plumbing emergency can ruin all that.
So make sure you have all these basics down pat. When you know the basics and know exactly what to do in a plumbing emergency, you can avoid additional costs and damage and can help put your life back in order the soonest possible time.
