It’s easy to panic in an emergency. In our frantic urgency, we can make things worse, or take too long to take simple steps that mitigate the damage. In a plumbing emergency, that time could mean the difference between a minor mess and a flooded bathroom.
Knowing what steps you should take can make your reaction time much faster and help you avoid missteps. Familiarize yourself with these tips, and the next time you have a plumbing emergency, you’ll be better prepared to do what’s necessary.
Know How to Shut the Water Off
It’s generally pretty easy to locate the water shut-off to various fixtures. But in the panic of an emergency, your haste can make this harder. Before any emergency occurs, go through your home and check where the shut-off valves are. If something breaks or leaks, you’ll be able to stop water from flowing to that particular section of your plumbing.
You should also know where your main water shut-off is. If you have a leak or break in a section of plumbing you can’t shut off individually, you can cut off the water supply to your whole home. This will be located where the water enters your house, generally in the basement on the side of your house facing the street, or facing your well if you don’t have municipal water.
Know How to Handle Frozen Pipes
When winter temperatures get severe, frozen pipes are a common plumbing emergency. If this happens to you, the first thing to know is not to try to defrost the pipe yourself with a space heater or hair dryer. This can cause such rapid expansion that it triggers a sudden rupture. Instead, call for an emergency plumber in Pine Brook, NJ.
To avoid having this happen at all, your best bet is to never lower your home’s heat below 55 degrees, even when you’re going to be away and don’t need your home to be warm.
Don’t Hesitate—Get Help
If you’re not sure whether something should be considered an emergency, err on the side of caution. Get professional plumbing help as quickly as you can. Blocked drains throughout your house can quickly turn into flooding sewage if you don’t take it seriously. A trickling leak can pour gallons of water into your subfloor in a matter of hours.
Another time to get emergency plumbing help is when the problem is an emergency to you personally. A child’s lost tooth or grandma’s engagement ring being lost down the sink may not flood your home, but if it matters deeply to you, it matters to us, too. Stop using that drain, cover it so nobody else unknowingly uses it, and call for help.
Rely on Qualified Professionals
It’s all too easy for something to go seriously wrong when people attempt DIY plumbing, and that can result in serious emergencies and water damage. Avoid this by having a plumber you trust and relying on them for quick, effective, and safe solutions to your plumbing problems.
Contact MarGo Plumbing Heating Cooling Inc. today with any questions about your plumbing!