A feeling of indecision is often the first response to a plumbing emergency. Where did all the water come from? How do I stop it? Sometimes, that urgent impulse to do something inspires unwise actions, like attempting a complicated do-it-yourself repair instead of calling a qualified plumber immediately. More often than not, a plumbing emergency only gets worse the longer you delay summoning professional help.
That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do until the plumber gets there. Remain calm and take these steps to minimize water damage.
- Turn off the water. Many people don’t know where the main water shutoff is or how to operate it. Every adult in the house should know and, if a tool is required to turn the valve, it should be kept nearby at all times. Before there’s a plumbing emergency, find the valve and test it for easy operation. If it feels stuck or stubborn, don’t force it. Ask a plumber to check it out. From then on, test it annually.
- Shut down the water heater. Turn the water heater gas valve to the off position. If it’s an electric model, turn power off at the switch or the main circuit breaker. Then shut the cold water inlet valve on top of the water heater.
- Drain the system. Simply turning off the main water valve still leaves a large amount of water in indoor supply lines. Go outside and open outdoor faucets and leave them open to drain residual water. When your plumber arrives, be sure to tell him the faucets are open.
- Stay safe. Don’t walk into any standing water in flooded areas of the house until it’s declared safe by the plumber. Safety issues include electrocution due to wet circuitry as well as toxic dangers from sewage and potential collapse of water-saturated ceilings or walls.
For more information on getting professional help for a plumbing emergency in your home in Indianapolis, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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