Knowing Your House can Save Valuable Time During Plumbing Emergency
How well do you know your house? You might think you know where everything is in your home, but you would be surprised how many things are hiding without you ever really taking note of them. For example, there are many safety features built into every home that can be used to turn off things like power and water in the case of emergency. Specifically, knowing all of the options for turning off the water to your home can be valuable in case of a leak or overflow. You will still need to call an emergency plumber right away, but shutting off the water can help save damage while the plumber is on the way.
Most homes have a few different options for shutting off the water flow. The option you should look at first depends on where the water is leaking from. The three options below are the three most likely places to experience a water leak inside the home.
- Appliances. Your dishwasher and washing machine are both connected to the water supply and could potentially spring a leak. If you have an ice maker in your refrigerator, it is also connected to the water in your home. When you notice a leak coming from any of these appliances, you can shut off the water locally using a valve behind any of them. There should be a small valve that you can turn closed located at the point where the water goes into the unit. Take a look at these supply lines sometime so you know where they are and how to get to them. By having that knowledge ahead of time, you will be able to act fast if something should happen.
- Under the Sink. The sinks in your bathrooms and kitchen all have water lines coming into them, usually hidden in a cabinet below them. Along with the water line should be a valve that can be closed off if a leak develops. By reaching in and turning the valve closed, you will cut off any more water from coming into the sink and leaking out. With the flow stopped, you can call an emergency plumber to come remedy the problem knowing that no further damage will ensue.
- – Water pipes. You can also have a pipe within a wall or under the house burst or crack and send water rushing into the home. In this case, you will need to find the main water shut off to the whole house and turn it closed. Often these are located out by the street in a box buried underground. You may also have a shutoff in a garage or utility closet. Again, looking for these ahead of time and knowing where they are will allow you to act much faster when a problem develops.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming you know where everything in your house is. By doing some homework while things are working perfectly, you can be better prepared to stop the flow of water minimize the damage to your home. After you get the water supply stopped, you can call an emergency plumber and get a professional to analyze the damage and repair the plumbing. Taking just a few minute out of a day to look around your home can save you thousands of dollars in potential damage in the event of a major water leak.
