Plumbing Emergency? Do this…

    1. Ok, so you’ve arrived home and you can tell right away that something isn’t right. You could call it spidey sense (or it could be the waterfall that is coming out of your ceiling), but when something catastrophic happens to your plumbing it doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out that something is seriously wrong and needs to be dealt with ASAP. So what to do? Read on – we’ve got you covered. Thanks to our friends at Langley Plumbing Company for giving us the lowdown for what to do when things go bad – if you’re in Langley, BC give them a call!

      1.  Stop the flow!
        • Try to find the water source closest to the leak, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with where the various water shut-off valves are before you need to use it. If in doubt, just shut off the main valve. Remember, lefty loosey, righty tighty – most valves turn clockwise to turn off.
      2.  Call a plumber.
        • At this point, you need to decide if this is something that needs an emergency response ( ie –  is more damage going to occur if it’s not dealt with immediately) or if it can wait for regular hours. Most plumbers will charge a premium if you need them to come immediately or after business hours. This can get costly in a hurry – if it can wait until regular business hours that’s typically best.
      3.  Turn off your Hot Water Heater.
        • Once you’ve turned off the main water to the house, your hot water heater can be damaged if it runs dry. Turning off the hot water heater can prevent a blowout – of course, if the water heater is the source of the original problem then it’s also a good idea to turn it off right away.
      4.  Reduce damage.
        • Now that the main source of the water has been shut off and a plumber has been called you can get to work preventing any further damage. If there is water dripping out of a broken pipe, or under a sink, you can place a bucket to capture the spillage. Use your common sense, don’t try to get too handy if you’re not up for it. Often times trying to fix a problem if you’re not trained can lead to bigger plumbing problems.

      Remember, just as in any emergency it’s important to keep a cool head. While a an indoor waterfall from a burst pipe or leaky toilet can seem like the end of the world it’s really not that big of a deal (you have insurance right?). Just stay calm, cool, and collected and follow these tips we’ve laid out and you’ll be good to go.