Plumbing emergencies can strike at any time. The usual sources for plumbing emergencies are components such as pipes, hoses, faucets and drains. Especially with more severe plumbing emergencies, it is very lucky if you are home and catch the problem early. Otherwise, you can expect significant water damage to occur. The best way to avoid an emergency is to have an inspection conducted yearly by an experienced plumber in Grand Junction, CO, just to ensure that your plumbing system is in quality condition.
But what you should you do if a plumbing emergency does occur? First and most importantly, you must determine the severity of the problem. If it truly is an emergency, you’ll need to call for emergency plumbing services right away. After placing a call, you can take some simple steps to limit the damage. Proactively limiting the damage caused by a water emergency depends partially on the emergency itself, but there are some general rules you can follow:
- Disconnect affected appliances: Appliances that use water often have rubber hoses and metal clamp attachments. Over time, the rubber can deteriorate and the metal clamps can rust. If there is a clog or other problem, water can swell inside of these weakened hoses and eventually cause them to burst. If this happens, immediately unplug the appliance and reposition it to gain working room. There should be a water valve within the vicinity of the appliance, and closing it will shut off the water supply.
- Shut off relevant water valves: If a faucet breaks, you can take a similar approach. Broken faucets can continuously spray water until something is done. By the time a plumber in Grand Junction, CO arrives, you can expect a terrible mess at the very least, or even the beginnings of severe water damage, depending on how much is flowing out. Near any faucet should be a valve, often underneath it. Once again, shut this off to stop the flow of water.
- Employ your plunger: A backed up sink or toilet can also lead to a mess or serious water damage. For a toilet, shut off the water supply immediately, again by looking for a nearby valve. Next, use a plunger or snake system and try to unclog the block.
- Fix leaks temporarily: Leaking pipes are definitely a cause for concern. Simply ignoring them will definitely lead to more significant plumbing problems later on. Once discovered, clean up the water and use a rag to wipe off the pipe in an effort to find the exact location of the leak. Place a bucket underneath it along with towels, and then attempt to apply a temporary remedy using plumber’s tape. Call a plumber in Grand Junction, CO and alert them that you have a leaking pipe.
- Know where your water main is located: Much worse is a broken pipe. The most significant water damage in homes tends to come from broken pipes. There is no patching this problem—you need to immediately find the water main valve and shut off the water supply to your home. In fact, the two most important things you can do to limit water damage are knowing the location of your water main valve and having a basic plumbing tool kit readily on hand. Keep the number of a plumber in an easily accessible location as well.
Dealing with a plumbing emergency is no one’s idea of a good time. That’s why professional plumbers are on hand to help. Call Double Diamond Plumbing next time you have a plumbing emergency.