How to Prepare for a Plumbing Emergency Monday, March 05, 2018

Being prepared for a plumbing emergency is key to minimizing damage.

With all of life's little problems that spring out of nowhere, it is amazing how most people tend not to be prepared even for the most minor of incidents. When it comes to plumbing issues, your problems could stem from small leaks to full blow pipe bursts. There are a few ways you can be more prepared to handle the situation with ease rather than be caught off guard.

Know your local emergency plumber.

For the Central Florida area (Lakeland, Plant City, and surrounding areas), you can rely on 24/7 services from True Plumbers & AC. If you are outside of this specific service zone, search around for an emergency plumbing service you can trust and keep the phone number handy. Plumbing emergencies tend to come up without warning, and getting a professional on the line immediately will help rectify the situation quicker.

Turn off the water to the entire home and clear the pipes.

There are a few basic steps that can help any homeowner in a plumbing crisis before your plumber can get to your house. These steps will help minimize any water damage to your home and cut off the water supply to ensure more damage doesn't occur.

1. Cut the supply of water to your home by turning off the water. This is especially important if you are unable to locate the source of the emergency. Find the main valve and turn clockwise to cut off the flow of water into your home.
2. Immediately go and shut off the water heater. Once your main water supply is shut off it will cause pressure and hot water to rise in your water heater. This could cause too much pressure to build and exceed the water heater's limit and cause it to burst.
3. Open the spigots outside of your house. This helps free the pipes of any excess water and directs water that would be going to the house away from it.
4. Stop any leaks. Any lingering water in your piping will continue to leak even after the water is off. Using tape, plumber's epoxy, and/or rags and buckets to contain or stop the leaks to the best of your ability until a professional plumber arrives to assist you.

Do an immediate cleanup of any affected areas in your home!

Dry everything as quick as possible. This includes furniture, flooring, carpeting, drywall, etc. If your damage is too great, consider contacting a water damage restoration company, like True Builders, to come look at and fix issues with difficult-to-dry surfaces before permanent damage sets in.

Being proactive during a plumbing emergency can make a huge difference in damages and cost! Know what to do, when to act, and get a professional plumbing company like True Plumbers to assist you immediately!