A plumbing emergency is an experience everyone encounters at some point in their lives. If it’s a burst pipe, a blocked drain, or an unreliable toilet, you must know how to prevent harm to your home and your family. Ottawa Plumbing Service has eight guidelines for emergency plumbing to aid you through the situation.
1: Turn Off Your Water
In the event of a plumbing issue, you must shut off the water supply to the affected pipe or fixture as soon as possible. You should shut off the valve if the problem is for one particular fixture, such as your tap or toilet. It usually happens at the bottom of the institution or behind it. It will shut off the water supply only to that fixture instead of the entire house.
If you cannot locate this valve, or the issue is more severe than an exploding pipe, you’ll have to shut off your main water supply for your home. It will completely shut off the water supply to your house to prevent it from getting flood-prone.
One of the last things you want during a plumbing emergency would be to spend time searching for it. It’s crucial to know where your shut-off valve for water is. It gets usually located close to the water meters.
2: Shut Off Your Hot Water System
If you encounter an urgent plumbing issue, switch your hot water system off. Once your main valve for water has been closed, be sure to turn off the water heater. It will keep it from overheating or bursting, which can cause further harm.
If you own an electric water heater, turn off the gas first and then switch off the water heater. It can save you from needing emergency repairs to your hot water system and your current plumbing issues!
3: Take Care of Small Leaks
Suppose you notice any leaks, stop them as quickly as you can with buckets to catch drips. If you’re capable of the task, you can temporarily stop leaks that are small until a plumber arrives to fix the problem in an emergency.
You can wrap plumbers or even duct tape around pinhole leaks to apply sufficient pressure over the pipes to stop leaks. If that’s not enough, purchasing more powerful equipment, such as a C-clamp or the Sleeve clamp, could be necessary. Few homes carry these, so you might need to collect these leaks and wait for a professional plumber.
4: Open Drains and Taps Outside
If you’ve needed to shut off your main water supply, you’ll have water within your plumbing system, which you’ll need to drain away from your house. It can get done by turning on the taps and opening drains outside your home.
If your drainage gets blocked in this manner, you could use a plunger to break up the obstruction. If this doesn’t work, let an expert plumber look into the issue.
5: Avoid Using Chemicals
While you might get tempted to fix your blocked drain with a store-bought drain cleaner, we recommend avoiding these chemical cleaners. While they might get you out of some plumbing emergencies, they won’t solve the problem. If misused, they could even damage your pipes!
A blocked drain plumber will not only repair your blocked drain but also identify its cause. Knowing the reason can help to prevent the problem from occurring again.
6: Make an Appointment with an Emergency Plumber
Now that you’ve prevented flooding and damage to your home, it’s time to call for professional help. Plumbing emergencies don’t wait for business hours to occur; they can strike any time or day. That’s why you’ll want 24-hour emergency plumbing you can trust.
7: Clean Up and Protect Your Belongings
After you’ve slowed the leaks, halted flooding, and called an expert plumber, it’s time to take care of and secure your property and personal belongings.
You’ll want to limit the risk of damage to your home by cleaning up any water. Try to take in the water around your house with a mop, an old towel, or whatever else you have at your disposal.
If it is safe enough, it’s ideal for relocating your personal belongings from any source of water. Furniture and other objects you’re worried about damaging must be relocated to a dry space within the room or removed thoroughly. Electronics that haven’t yet get exposed to water must be disconnected and moved to a location where they will remain dry.
8: Wait for Your Emergency Plumber
You’ve tried everything, but now all you need to be waiting for is an emergency plumber to arrive at your home. If you attempt to take on more work than that, you may exacerbate the issue or place your family and your home in danger. These tips for emergency plumbing will assist you in handling the emergency until assistance arrives. For emergency plumbing services, call Ottawa Plumbing Service today at (613) 317-1682 or email us at info@ottawaplumbingservice.com.
