What You Can Do in a Plumbing Emergency
When a plumbing problem suddenly occurs, don’t panic. Take these steps to help curb or prevent water damage in your home or business, and call on our experts for immediate service.
Turn Off the Water
Shut off your water as soon as you experience a problem. If you’re unsure of how big the problem is, shut off the water to your whole house. Most shutoff valves are located outside your home near your water meter. Turn the valve handle to the right (or clockwise) until it can’t turn anymore.
If you’re sure the plumbing issue is localized to just a fixture, like a sink or a toilet, turn off the water for that fixture. For a sink, there should be two valves under the sink that both need to be shut off. For a toilet, the valve is located on the wall behind it.
Open Spigots & Drain Water
Once you’ve shut off the main water valve and stopped water from entering your home, open the spigots around your property to let the excess water drain out of your pipes. This will help prevent more damage in your home.
If you find a clog or backup while doing this, you can try to plunge it, but the best thing to do is wait for our experienced plumbers to come and evaluate the situation. Most importantly, do not pour drain cleaning solutions or other harsh chemicals into your pipes because these will cause more damage to your plumbing system.
Take Note of Any Damage
With the water stopped, assess the areas you can to see where the source of your plumbing problems might be. Look for cracked pipes and feel the floor and walls for warmth or dampness.
When you call us, let us know everything you’ve observed so we can help you diagnose the problem quickly.