Are you concerned that you're going to have a pipe burst this winter? Have you been safe so far but you believe it's just a matter of time before it happens to you? While there are some things that you can do to help prevent frozen pipes from bursting in the winter, these measures may be forgotten or may not be as effective once the temperature drops below a certain point. To that end, it's a good idea to know what to do in the event that you experience this kind of event. Some things that you'll need to do include the following.
Find your main cutoff valve: It doesn't make sense to wait for the emergency plumbing contractor to arrive to shut off the water for you. Depending on the water pressure and the size of the leak in question, just a few minutes could result in hundreds of gallons of water spilling into your home. To that end, it's a good idea to know where the main shutoff valve for your water is and how to use it. Even in cold weather, it should be turning without too much difficulty. If it doesn't turn, now is a good time to call a plumber and have it replaced.
Have contact information ready: Since not every plumber can handle emergency situations and some emergency plumbers might not deal in things like burst pipes but only with stuff like clogged drains, it's a good idea to look up contact information beforehand to have it ready just in case. You may also want to have multiple numbers, just in case the first emergency plumbing contractor you call isn't able to come out for some reason. Store these numbers in your phone and written down in two or more safe locations, if possible. If the phone and/or one of the locations gets damaged by water, you should still be able to call the plumber because the other number will be safe.
Be prepared for cleanup: As previously mentioned, burst pipes can cause a lot of water to get into your home. The longer you let that water sit there while you wait for the emergency plumbing contractor to show up, the more difficult the cleanup task will be. Even if all you have at the ready is a mop, a bucket, and a towel or two, this is going to be better than doing nothing at all. You might also want to invest in a large squeegee or squeegee-type mop to be able to push water out of your door instead of simply mopping it up a little at a time.
For more information, contact an emergency plumbing contractor.
Share17 December 2019
My homes have always had either copper or PVC plumbing pipes. But when my plumbing system needed an overhaul last spring, I wanted a piping system for my home that I could work on myself when needed. There were a lot of good reasons to choose PEX piping, but my favorite thing about the PEX piping is that it's easy to work with, even if you're a beginner like me. Now I can make small repairs myself instead of calling the plumber every time I have a minor leak or other small problem. I still call the plumber for the big stuff, but it's more affordable now that I can take care of small issues myself. I started this blog to help others learn how they, too, can do DIY plumbing repairs at home.