What to Do in a Plumbing Emergency? (5 Steps)

Sooner or later most homeowners will experience some type of plumbing emergency. Failure to act quickly in a plumbing emergency can lead to expensive repairs. Hence learning how to handle a plumbing emergency will give you control to protect your home and get a repair service there much faster. 

If you find yourself in a plumbing emergency, you need to call a professional plumber right away but you first need to take action to mitigate any damage to your plumbing or the rest of your home. 

The steps below will help you handle a plumbing emergency, but remember to always call a plumber during the process. The safest thing for your home is to have a 24/7 plumber just a phone call away. We also recommend keeping your plumber’s number in your contacts, so it’s easy to access when you need it. There's no time like the present, save PD Parnell Plumbing into your phone, the No.1 Rated Plumber in Ipswich on Google, with the telephone number - 07977857224.  

1 - Shut off the water

In almost all plumbing emergencies, the first thing you should do is stop water from continuing to flow, to prevent further damage.
You should have a internal stop tap (also known as stopcock or stop valve) somewhere in your house which you'll need to find. This will allow you to turn water off in your house. The main stop cock will often be found together with other utilities like gas and electricity very close to where they enter your house. When you find it try turning it off. You'll probably find it's quite stiff as it's rarely used. Try spraying a little WD40 on the shaft.

2 - Drain the water from the pipes

There will still be water in your pipes even after the main water valve is shut off. After you have shut-off the water supply, it is also a good idea to open all sink faucets to drain the water from the pipes to further minimize damage. You may want to turn on any outside spigots to drain the pipes. This way water will be directed outside instead of inside your home, possibly worsening any troubles you are already having with water.

3 - Remove excess water 

While waiting for the plumber, do what you can to safety remove any excess water to mitigate the damage to your property.

4 - Assess the damage

Try and assess the extent of the damage before you call an emergency plumber. The information you provide over the phone will give the plumber a good idea of the problem at hand, and make it easier for the plumber to quickly fix the problem.

5 - Call PD Parnell Plumbing and Listen for advice

People often forget to call a plumber while an emergency is occurring. Reduce as much damage as possible by calling right away. The best part of an early call is that you’ll get some initial help with the problem. Trained plumbing experts who answer your call can also let you know if the situation is too dangerous. When a professional or a government official tells you to leave your home during an emergency, please listen. It can save your life.

These tips can help save your home and get you in the right mindset to tackle an emergency. Being prepared is the best way to successfully handle any plumbing situation.