Fixing Your Plumbing To Fix Your Life

Insight To Help You Handle A Plumbing Emergency

Your home's plumbing lines for waste and for fresh water are important elements for your home. Anytime your plumbing has a break in the line or a clog, you will need to contact a professional plumber for emergency service. Here are some recommendations to help you handle a plumbing emergency in your home and repair it while you prevent excessive damage.

Prevent Frozen Water Lines

Whether or not you have experienced freezing temperatures yet this winter, there is still enough time left this winter season that this can occur. So if you have not winterized your outside water lines, you can still handle this to prevent water damage to the system.

Be sure you turn off water to your outside faucets or water lines in unheated out buildings, if possible, and disconnect the hose so the water will drain from the line and from the hose to prevent freezing damage. If your home's water lines run next to the exterior walls and under cabinets, such as in the kitchen or bathrooms, be sure to insulate the lines to prevent them from freezing.

Turn Off Your Home's Water

If a water line does freeze, it is a good idea to handle the situation promptly and contact your plumbing professional to help you repair any line damage. They will be able to complete an emergency service call, considering you don't have running water and will need it restored and repaired. You will need to shut off your home's water source so when the lines become thawed out, any cracks and damage won't begin to shoot water out inside your home. The water lines are under high pressure with the water, and it will saturate your home's interior if this happens.

To handle this task, you should know where your water shut off valve is located in your home. Teach others in your home where it is located so they can shut it off also if it is necessary.

Minimize the Damage

A plumbing leak inside your home may come upon you without any notice. You may encounter a water leak while you are thawing out your water lines or while completing a faucet repair, but if you discover water pumping out of a water line under your kitchen sink, you will need to act quickly. Try to plug up the water leak with a nearby rag or place a bucket below the leak to minimize the damage to nearby areas. Once you shut off your water, begin cleaning up the area with towels or a shop vacuum. 

Contact an emergency plumber for a service call to repair the broken line. They can determine what caused the damage, whether from old and outdated pipes, or from a frozen line, and get it repaired with the proper and up-to-date materials.


Share