Plumbing Emergencies

Plumbing Emergencies You Must Know How to Deal With

An emergency plumbing situation will happen and there is no stopping it. As a matter of fact, you may have experienced it yourself. It’s actually a nightmare when you realize that the problem has reached serious proportions, giving you no other choice but to deal with it.

When we talk about plumbing, it is always about water. Water in turn is very capable of producing damage the moment it runs free of its usual boundaries like the pipes, toilets, and sinks. It naturally dissolves and destroys just about anything that is not protected with some sort of plastic coating.

So what you really need is basic knowledge of these plumbing emergencies, the main purpose of which is to be able to quickly react in case they happen, which in turn will allow you to effectively prevent further damage and more serious plumbing issues later on.

1 – Toilet Overflow

When the toilet overflows, it usually happens when you least expect it. This means that you seem to remember everything was fine the other day and suddenly you’re faced with the problem. This happens when the bowl is filling up while the drain isn’t working. This is because you have a clog and in a few minutes, it may get beyond your control, especially if you cannot act on it fast.

Obviously this type of emergency has to be dealt with the quickest way possible. You need to remove the tank cover from the back of the toilet. Reach in and close the stopper situated at the bottom of the tank. By doing so, the bowl will be prevented from filling any further. After that, shut off the water supply valve. This is where you can start the unclogging process.

2 – Broken Pipe

The next plumbing emergency situation is broken pipes. It happens because of several reasons. For instance, older homes that need minor plumbing changes may lead to broken gushing mess. Pipes frozen will have the tendency to burst when they’re thawed. But it really doesn’t matter what caused the break. The thing is you have to understand that the main water inlet valve will make this issue a lot less costly. However, these valves aren’t really that easy to locate especially if have quite an old plumbing system. Therefore, you should find time and effort locating it.

As soon as the water is turned off and the emergency situation is managed, you will have to decide to either repair the pipe on your own or perhaps call a plumbing company or professional to do it for you.

3 – Faucets That Will Not Shutoff

This one may not be as immediate of a problem compared to the first two we’ve discussed, but ignoring it will definitely cause some more problems on your end. When faucets won’t shutoff, you’re dealing with a problem where water entering the sink is faster than the usual draining. As a result, you’re collecting water in the sink and it will most likely lead to flooding. The best solution for this is to access the cabinet or that particular area below the sink and then locate the shut off valve to the faucet. When you’re successful at doing so, you can now decide to either replace the faucet or let the plumber handle it for you.