SOPs for Every Plumbing Emergency at Home

It’s natural to expect your plumbing to behave itself. We’re lucky to live in a time when our citywide plumbing is more reliable than ever, and we have hot water literally on tap. So it can be a huge shock when something fails. JCS Plumbing has had many years of experience helping both residential and commercial clients deal with plumbing emergency. Here is our guide to surviving a plumbing failure, and hopefully averting disaster.

Turn off the Water

Whether there is a leak, a burst, a blockage, or a system failure, the first thing you should do is disconnect the mains water supply to your property. This will prevent uncontrolled water from damaging other vital components and fixtures of your home. In cases of severe leakages or burst pipes, water can do catastrophic damage to foundations and structural features of your home, so the sooner you can limit the water flow, the better.

Turn off power to water heater

If you find that your hot water has failed, turn off your water heater. In the case of gas water heater failure, there may be a risk of gas leakage, so it is best to prevent it from operating in any way. Equally though, in the event of a failure or leak elsewhere, turning off and disconnecting the water heater from the water supply will help to prevent damage to the unit itself, so when water is returned, you can be sure you have hot water too.

See to Small Leaks

If there are secondary, smaller leaks that are causing additional headaches, try stopping them up with old rags, or plumbing tape if you have it. This may not be a permanent solution, but it will prevent permanent damage to your home or business until the plumber is able to attend. Once the plumber arrives, be sure to notify them of both the large and the small issues. Even a small leak can become a big problem over time. (Also read: Tips for Leak Detection)

Drain standing water

Turning off the mains water connection is important, but it will not directly remove the water that had already moved into the pipes. In order to remove this water, turn on any taps that are away from a leak or blockage, ideally outside the house. This will move the water out and prevent it from leaking out a small leak, or draining toward a blocked drain.

Call the plumber!

An emergency plumbing situation can be extremely stressful, especially in the case of a flooding. Some people do get so carried away with trying to deal with the situation, they forget to call the plumber. So try to call the plumber early on, both to ensure you get help as soon as possible, but also because a plumber may be able to give you helpful advice over the phone before they attend the property.

If you need a plumber for your home of business, whether it’s an emergency plumber enquiry or a general call-out, JCS Plumbing is your trusty Perth Plumbing Partner. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for all your plumbing solutions.