4 Things You Need To Do Straight Away During a Major Plumbing Leak
We live in an era that would have turned out ancestors bright puce with envy. We have the internet, of course, and are able to recall a million encyclopedias’ worth of information in seconds by way of the shiny rectangles in our pockets. But even more quotidian luxuries would have boggled the minds of previous generations. We’re able to change our ambient temperatures at the touch of a button. We can command clean water with a flick of the wrist… and we can even decide how hot we want it. We can illuminate our living space with the flick of a switch (or even a dab of our touchscreens). The average home is chock full of everyday miracles. And they do their job so well, it’s easy to forget that they’re doing anything at all.
Until, that is, something goes wrong. And if something goes wrong with your water pipes or appliances, this can do an incredible amount of damage to your home in an unbelievably short space of time. Your quick, calm and decisive actions in this scenario will make all the difference here. So, if a burst pipe or faulty appliance is gushing water all over your home, take a deep breath, remain calm and do the following…
Shut off the flow of water
Start at the point of leakage and work your way outward shutting off valves to stem the flow of water. If the water is coming from a device like a washing machine or dishwasher, shut this off first. If there are any nearby valves that you can access shut these off too. If the water keeps flowing, you might need to shut off the main water flow valve to your home. No idea where that is? No need to panic. This useful guide will help you to locate yours. Don’t wait. Find it today!
Shut off the power to your home
You don’t need this blog to tell you that water and electricity don’t get along. And in the modern home, there are innumerable devices that run on mains power and any one of them can be a huge safety hazard if they get wet.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to shut off your mains power supply for your safety and the safety of everyone in your home.
Get in touch with your insurance company
While your first instinct might be to look for emergency plumbing companies in your area, there’s one thing that you need to do first. Call your insurance company. While it might not seem like your highest priority, you need to ensure that they give you the go ahead to remove the water in your home. You should also take photos of any and all items that have been water damaged. You don’t want to do anything that will invalidate or weaken your claim.
Contact an emergency plumber
No matter how confident you are in your DIY skills, your next port of call should be to get in touch with an emergency plumber. They can help you to identify the source of the leak, administer repairs and help you to drain the water out of your home to mitigate further damage.
While some damage may be inevitable (hence the importance of contacting your insurance company), your quick thinking and action in these important moments can help you save and salvage as much as possible!
