Hello, my name is Lelani O’Malley. Welcome to my website about keeping your plumbing system in great shape. When I bought my first home, I was shocked to learn that it was built in the early 1900s. Another shocking discovery awaited as I learned that the plumbing system remained from its original build. Upon learning those facts, I dedicated my time to learning how to keep that system in great condition. I developed this website to bring that knowledge to you as well. I want to help all my readers maintain their existing plumbing system for years to come. Thank you for coming by.
3 Vital Things To Do While Waiting For Your Plumber To Arrive
Do you own the home that you live in? Have you ever considered what you would do in the event of a plumbing emergency? Obviously, your best course of action is going to be to call in a professional as soon as you can. But the things that you do between calling in a plumber and the plumber's arrival can have a huge impact on how much you're going to have to spend repairing the damage caused by the emergency. Some of the most important things that you need to remember to do include:
Shut off utilities: You probably already know that you should shut off the water when you have a leaky pipe. What you may not realize, however, is that it may be just as important to turn off your electricity and, sometimes, even your gas when you have a pipe that has burst. When a pipe bursts, especially if it happens to be an upstairs pipe, the water can run along the electrical wires inside of your walls, causing shorts and potentially creating fires. If the water happens to flood your basement and you have a gas water heater or furnace, the water could put out the pilot light which can cause an extremely hazardous situation as the gas accumulates. To be safe, shut off all utilities until the plumber can arrive and assess the situation.
Mop up the water: It's a good idea to always have two or three old bath towels on hand in case of an emergency. If your toilet overflows, you don't want to have to leave the raw sewage on your floor for an indefinite period of time. The sooner you can start absorbing the mess, the better. By cleaning up as much as possible, you also won't have to worry about the plumber potentially tracking dirty water through your home and creating even more of a mess.
Call your insurance company: Even if your homeowner's insurance doesn't cover actual floods, it may have a clause that covers you in the event of a burst pipe or other non-natural cause of water damage. The sooner that you call your insurance company, the sooner that you'll be able to find out if they're going to be covering at least part of the cost of having to call in a plumber or if you're going to have to pay the entire bill on your own.
Contact a company like Bishop Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, Inc. for more information and assistance.