Have you ever experienced a plumbing mishap in your home? Most of us have, and it’s not fun. Water can cause extensive damage to your home, especially for the unprepared resident. Here are several tips everyone should know in case a plumbing emergency arises. Knowing this information ahead of time could potentially save you thousands of dollars. Being aware of early signs of a plumbing issue and acting quickly to remedy the problem is the best way to avoid the heartache that will otherwise follow if you ignore the signs and do nothing.
Be Prepared at All Times
Locate your main shutoff valve.
If you don’t already know where this is, find it now. If one of your pipes were to crack or burst, you need to know exactly where to go and what to do to turn off the water spilling from your pipe or you could have a flood on your hands.
Locate the shutoff valves for all appliances.
Know the location of and how to turn on/off the water supply to all sinks, toilets, washing machine, bathtubs/showers, water heater, and dishwasher. It may be more effective to turn off the individual appliance that is leaking or overflowing than turning off your main shutoff valve. Even if you shut off the water supply to your entire home at the main shutoff location, the water that’s already inside your pipes will leak out if the individual unit’s valve is not shut.
Have a plumber on hand.
If you don’t have a regular plumber, do some research to find a trustworthy, professional plumber in your area that you can call in case of an emergency. Put the phone number up on your refrigerator or programmed into your phone to have on hand at all times. Picking a plumber out before a situation arises will also allow you to find one with good recommendations, great service, and fair prices that you can trust, instead of dialing the first number you come across as you’re scrambling for help.
Prepare an emergency toolkit.
Gather the following items to have on hand at all times.
- 5-gallon bucket
- Multi-bit screwdriver
- Steel pipe and crescent wrenches
- Allen keys
- Plunger
- Duct tape to temporarily seal leaks
- Flashlight
- Rubber gloves
- A few rags
Take precautions.
Know that the basement is usually the place to spring a leak. Keep storage boxes and anything valuable up off of the floor or in waterproof containers.
Do you need emergency plumbing service in the Ames area?
Cyclone Contracting is here for you! Give us a call at 515-203-3353 or send us a message online!
If you need any other home services including remodeling or heating and cooling, let us know how we can help you!