What to Do When you Have a Plumbing Problem

How to Spot a Plumbing Issue Before it Happens

 

Sometimes your plumbing will give out on you and you’ll need to enlist the help of professional. There are a number of things that can go wrong but you can sometimes see them coming if you know what to look for. If you have standing water in your sink or if water is draining much more slowly than it normally does it could be an indication of an underlying problem.

 

What to Do in an Emergency

 

One of the most common causes of a plumbing problem will be caused by a clogged drain or toilet. In most instances, it can be fixed by running a snake through the drain, but if that doesn’t work, you may need to get a plumber to use their more advanced tools to unclog it for you. If you have a leak that causes a flood, you will need to shut off the water as soon as possible to keep the flooding down. If you have a burst pipe, it will help to prevent the water from filling up your basement and creating a dangerous situation when it gets near electrical wires and causing additional damage to your home and belongings. Before you are faced with an emergency plumbing situation, you would locate the main water supply and the tap that will turn it off so you will be able to locate it when you need to. Sometimes your pipes will freeze when it gets cold, and your pipes will split. You can prevent this from happening by letting some water drizzle out of your tap during extremely cold weather. If your pipes have already frozen, it is possible to thaw them out before you have to deal with a frozen pipe. Just be sure never to use an open flame on your pipes.

 

If you have a broken main water line, you have an emergency plumbing situation on your hands and will need to get professional help. Sometimes you may simply have a slow leak in one of your pipes, and you may not notice that you even have a leak until you have a small flood in your basement. It can be difficult to find the leak, but in order to stop the flooding, your will need to shut of the main water valve. Then, when the water stops flooding your home you will be able to mop up the water and begin drying out your home. It will then be easier to find the leak once you turn the water back on again since you will be able to find the source as you follow the dripping water. You can also use a dye such as food coloring to see where the flow of water is coming from. When you get a flood you shouldn’t always assume that it is a leaky pipe. It could also be a water heater that has finally reached the end of its lifecycle.