Friday, March 18, 2016

3 Tips for Handling a Plumbing Emergency


The fact about owning a home is that sometimes plumbing emergencies happen. How you handle the problem, however, greatly affects their severity and the impact that they have on your home and plumbing system.

Have a plumbing emergency? Want to be ready for anything related to your plumbing? Here are three tips on handling a home plumbing emergency.

1. Know where your home's shut-off valve is located. For larger plumbing emergencies, the main shut-off valve's location is key to preventing further problems and water damage. If you are unaware as to where it is located, have a plumber come out, do a routine check of your pipes, and show you its location.

2. Understand your home's pipe and plumbing layout. A great way to stop a plumbing emergency is to put your foot in the door before it closes. Even just a cursory understanding of your home's pipes and plumbing will help you diagnose a problem. If your home is new enough, try to attain a copy of your home's plumbing from the builders. Otherwise, work with a plumber to get more plumbing information about your home.

3. Take charge, remain calm, and clear the area of valuables. The absolute worst thing that you can do is panic when the water is flowing freely. Keep a clear head and work fast to remove any valuables from the water affected area. If you are not alone, work with a partner to shut off the water supply as quickly as possible. The faster you work, the better the plumbing emergency will turn out.

In the end, correcting a plumbing emergency is about knowledge and speed. If nothing else, your quick actions will aid a plumber in righting the plumbing wrong.

If you have questions related to your plumbing just call The Polite Plumber at (973) 398-0875. We’ll never ask how it happened!