Free house image, public domain shelter CC0 photo.

Anyone can experience a plumbing emergency at any moment, including during the late hours of the night or the course of a holiday weekend. When you come groggily into a toilet in the middle of the night-time and realise your boots absorbing water from a damaged pipe, it can be appealing to call the first emergency plumber you can locate. But before you call an Emergency Plumber who works around the clock, there are certain things you can try first.

If you are prepared for a plumbing emergency and know what steps to take, you can save incurring the high costs of hiring a 24-hour plumber. In reality, most plumbing issues can be put off until the morning when the office is open for business. What’s the first step? When is a plumber needed? And what could the issue potentially be? The following are some responses:

1.     Put an end to the Water Running.

Turn off the water stockpile in the circumstance of a plumbing crisis to contain additional damage. When it is obvious that water is escaping from a fixture, such as a toilet or a faucet, switch off the water supply connected to that fixture. You can switch off the water supply to the house at the water metre if you are unable to locate the cause of the leak or if the individual fixtures do not have valves that can be used to shut off the water supply. Be sure that you and every family member are familiar with the locations of the water metre, the main shutoff valve, and the shutoff valves for the various fixtures in your home.

2.     Use tools as per situation arise:

Make sure you have a supply of the essential plumbing tools before you run into a problem with the plumbing. The following is a list of things that should always be in your toolbox in case you need to make repairs to your plumbing:

  • Wrench for pipes
  • Crescent wrench with adjustable settings
  • Wrench, basin-type
  • Channel-lock pliers
  • Auger (“snake”)
  • Hacksaw
  • Set of screwdrivers
  • Driver for nuts or a socket wrench
  • Tool for clearing out drains called a plunger
  •  

3.     Pipes Under the Sink That Are Leaking

If you have pipes that are dripping underneath the sink, you should give this solution a go before calling an emergency plumber. Stop the water flow either at the valve itself or the main shutoff valve.

  • Put a container or bucket underneath the pipe connection so that it may collect the water that leaks out.
  • You can remove the pipes by removing the threading with a monkey wrench and then disconnecting them.
  • Wrapping plumber’s tape around the threads in a clockwise orientation will prevent them from coming loose.
  • Put the pipes back together.

4.     Faucet Leaks

Leaky faucets are not only a nuisance because they disrupt your binge-watching of your new favourite programme, but they also cause a significant amount of water to be wasted. You can change your aerator, located directly within the faucet and can be quickly replaced with a towel and wrench. This is one simple temporary cure for this leak that you can attempt while waiting for an Emergency Plumber  to arrive. Look for the type of aerator that already has a shutdown feature constructed into it. The up and down level up/down lever will assist you in controlling the volume of water flow that you require.

5.     Rubber connectors for Pipes and Tubes

If the source of the leak is at a junction, rubber pipe connectors may be used to assist prevent water or drainage from collecting up in the area. Because this method often requires cutting, you should probably only use it if you have more extensive plumbing repair skills than just the basics.

6.     Tape

Depending on the kind of pipe, many different kinds of tape, including electrical, duct, and Teflon, can be reliable solutions for stopping a tiny leak in its tracks. If you want to fix a leak using tape temporarily, the trick is to make sure there is no water in the spot while you are wrapping it. This will help you build a good seal and retard the leak from growing. In addition, you will need to fully flatten the tape against the pipe so that there are no pockets of water that can accumulate within the tape work. This strategy only applies to minor leaks and is not recommended for use on more significant leaks.

7.     Pull the Muscles Together Closer

Investigate the plumbing in the vicinity of the leaking pipe and, utilising an adjustable wrench, secure the joints in the immediate location. The fittings may be already tight, but if they are not, tightening them will assist in establishing a tighter seal, which will allow your temporary fix job to survive until the Emergency Plumber arrives.

8.     Porcelain Chipped and Cracked

Accidents can cause sinks, showers, bathtubs, and even toilets and bathtubs to crack or break. Always containing water are these various plumbing fixtures and equipment. If your toilet tank cracks and floods the floor, you will feel panicked much easier. If such plumbing appliances crack, you need to act quickly to prevent the water from leaking and damaging your floor.

Putty explicitly designed for plumbers is an effective method for repairing porcelain plumbing fixtures that have developed leaks. Putty will be applied to the location on the leak’s interior, causing the problem. Be sure to squeeze the putty to fit tightly over the leaking spot. Putty is water resistant; thus, it will keep the leak at bay for a little while. Caulk should also be applied to the portion of the leak visible from the outside to serve as a secondary sealant.

The leak can be repaired more effectively and for a longer period if the putty is applied to the internal surface of the leak and caulk is applied to the external surface. However, neither putty nor caulk can be expected to last indefinitely. Changing the broken appliance with a new one is the last option.

Conclusion:

Although we believe that following these pointers can help you save money and reduce the risk of flooding and water damage, we do not advise that you rely on them exclusively. These are only temporary solutions to emergencies. You should always seek the assistance of a trained professional Emergency Plumbr to ensure that no additional issues need to be addressed. Suppose the issue involves:

  • A broken water main line.
  • A broken service line.
  • A blocked sewer.
  • Problems with the sewer utility hole.

In that case, the first person you should contact is your local municipality’s water or septic tank service division. To better assist customers during times of crisis, the Emergency Plumber will provide service around the clock.