How To: Survive a Plumbing Emergency
You did a really great job with a DIY plumbing project. You did all the proper research and followed the instructions perfectly. Now, you have a properly installed toilet or sink. But what happens if something goes wrong? This is your guide to how to survive a plumbing emergency!
I don’t know about you but I’m always pretty surprised when there’s an issue that needs more than just a “simple” solution. In these situations it’s best not to panic and follow these steps:
Step One: Turn off the Water
In order for your plumber to do their job they’re going to need access to both incoming water from the city and outgoing water to your house. So, the first step is to turn off the water.
Tap into the main shutoff valve that serves your house and turn the knob to close the valve. If you don’t know where that is then you can find it at SPU’s website by plugging in your address. It’s also a good idea to have some sort of plumber’s tape on hand so that if more than one valve needs to be turned off you’ll have some for each one.
Next, open up faucets inside and outside of your home so there will be no pressure pushing against the incoming line when they arrive with their snake machine looking thing.
Step Two: Open the Plumbing Access Panel(s)
If you happen to have access panels in your kitchen or bathroom floor (typically above the sink) then by all means open them up. This is where your plumber can get most of their work done without having to tear out walls and cabinets.
Step Three: Notify Your Insurance Agent
You’ll want to call here ASAP so that they can begin processing the claim ahead of time, just in case things take longer than expected. We’ve had clients who didn’t call for several days after a pipe burst which resulted in their insurance company denying coverage because they were “aware” of the incident at the time it occurred.
Step Four: Move Unnecessary Items Away From the Area(s) Affected By the Leak/Burst Pipe
Remove any unnecessary items from the affected areas. This includes dishes, food, tools, etc. You don’t want your plumber to have to get on their hands and knees just to get a wrench because you left it in the sink overnight. Of course this step only applies if you’re dealing with a leak or burst pipe of some sort. Otherwise, move stuff away from where they’ll be working so that nothing gets damaged by tools or other objects being dragged around.
Step Five: Keep Everyone/Everything Else Out Of The Way!
No one likes a crowded space but when there’s a plumbing emergency you’ll need everyone and everything out of the way until things are fixed which means little ones and furry friends should be put outside until the plumbers are done.
Step Six: Don’t Touch Anything!
If there’s one thing to get straight before your plumber arrives it’s this. Do not touch anything! I know, right now you’re thinking “but what if something is…POP!” It doesn’t matter so long as YOU don’t touch it. Just think of how many germs are on everything in your house then multiply that by 100 and that’s likely how many germs your plumber will be exposed to while they’re working. There may even be hazardous contaminants present which means everyone should stay back until the job is finished and testing has been done for any possible contamination or chemical exposure. So just do yourself a favor and let them work.
Step Seven: Keep Your Plumber Happy
If you already know who your plumber will be then everything listed above should be easy. If this is your first time dealing with a plumbing emergency and don’t have anyone to call for help, here’s where things get tricky… It’s usually best to ask around for the “good” guy/company. This means giving people who’ve had good-to-excellent service. Such as Scott Pfeffer Plumbing a ring so that they can send someone ASAP. They’ll likely charge the insurance company directly instead of billing you and since we’re all about treating customers fairly. We would never do anything except pass along that information. And just like that, hopefully, these steps will save you some stress and make it easier to deal with your insurance company. Should you ever find yourself in the position of needing a home service call for anything other than an emergency.
Conclusion:
If you have any questions about anything mentioned above please feel free to ask them in the comments below. If you want help finding a trusted plumber for your home, business or rental property. Then give us a call and we’ll hook you up with a great company. Who will be happy to return your call within 24 hours. And as always if it’s an emergency do not hesitate to call 911 immediately.