Plumbing Emergencies: What to do while you’re waiting for the plumber to arrive.

A homeowner will at one point have to deal with a plumbing problem. Many of them will panic when something goes wrong with their plumbing, but this is not without reason. Leaking water can easily ruin the furniture, roofing, flooring, and other possessions. Delays in getting emergency plumbing service can result in thousands of dollars in damage. While waiting for the plumber to get there, you need to do a number of things to minimize the damage.

Shutting Off Water Supply
Find the main water valve then turn it off. This is going to minimize the water damage by cutting off the water supply. Most of the time, the main water valve is located near the water meter. If you cannot find it, then call up your plumber so they can suggest places that it might be in.

Removing Standing Water
There is no need to sit there and do nothing. Open the doors and indoors, turn on the fans, take a towel or mop to get rid of standing water because the water can easily ruin the floors, drywalls, and lead to mold developing. Mold will take three days to develop and that is when you are going to notice the pungent nuisance.

Draining the Lines
There will be residual liquid in the pipes even after shutting the main water valve. Turn on hoses or spigots outside to drain the pipes. This ensures all the liquid in the system is out and cannot leak inside your home.

Checking the Electric Appliances
Water can easily come into contact with electric appliances. Go to your fuse box and see whether it is dry, and turn it off if possible. Turn off appliances such as the water heater because the tank can be damaged if it is running an empty water heater.

You should not try to fix anything, just try to minimize the damage.