How to Handle Plumbing Emergencies

Most homeowners have a plumbing emergency at least once in their lives. It is important for everyone to understand how to handle an emergency to minimize problems. There are some things you can do before the plumber arrives that will help cut down on possible damage.

List of Tips for Emergencies for Plumbing

When toilets clog to where they will no flush, they just might overflow. Turn off the water just below the tank with the knob. This will automatically stop all water from flowing into the tank and toilet bowl. Then it is safe to use the plunger to attempt to unclog the toilet.

If your emergency involves broken or leaking pipes though, you will need to turn the water off at the main. Small leaks can even lead to big water loss, if the flow is not turned off at the main. Large leaks are huge problems if the water is not stopped. With either, a professional plumber is best to make sure the problem is fixed correctly.

Frozen pipes can be a problem in the winter, if they are not properly insulated. These should be thawed out slowly using hot towels or a hair dryer. Don't use a blowtorch, because it will heat up the pipes too quickly, which could cause them to break.

If your water heater springs a leak, the first thing to do is to turn off its water supply. Then you need to turn off the water heater. If it is a gas unit, turn off the gas to the heater. The line for this is typically either yellow or black. If it is an electric one, turn off the power at the breaker box. Waukesha plumbers are called out many times to fix or repair water heaters.
Clogged drains sometimes are easy to unclog with a bit of drain cleaner just follow the directions on the bottle. However, there are those times that the pipes have to be taken apart to find out where the problem is. This is a time to call a professional in to diagnose the problem.

These are some valuable tips to ensure that you know how to deal with some of the possible Waukesha plumbing emergencies that you could face at your house. Being able to deal with these emergencies, even before the plumber gets there will minimize any damage that may occur otherwise.