Wouldn’t it be nice if someone immediately showed up to fix things every time you faced a plumbing crisis? It’d be even better if you had to merely type ‘emergency plumbing near me’ into a search engine, and voila! A certified professional is right there at your doorstep.
Does that sound like wishful thinking? Well, there might be a chance that it isn’t. After all, there’s no definitive proof that such services don’t exist. Regardless, let’s not get carried away here and get back to what’s important—your pipes are in a dire situation.
So, let’s look at some things you can do while waiting for a plumber to come along.
You must follow the steps mentioned here in the listed order. Don’t worry—these aren’t restrictive clauses. Instead, they are helpful guidelines.
So, here’s what you need to do:
1. Turn the water supply off
First, figure out where the main valve is and shut it down. Yes, your home is going to lose water supply. But that’s still a better alternative to a flooded bedroom.
The location of the primary systems differs depending on where you live. For instance, in Sydney, Australia, you’d find the valve typically at the front of the house, protected by a council cover. So, head out to your yard and do the needful.
Remember, as experienced as they may be, no plumber likes wading through knee-deep water.
2. Drain the pipes
Even after shutting the primary water supply off, there’ll still be a significant amount left in your drainage system. And unfortunately, that can hinder someone from trying to fix your pipes. So, go around the house and turn on all the sink faucets. Do the same for sprinklers if you have them in your yard.
While that’s happening, go back to where the problem is and start getting rid of the standing water. This can get a little grimy if the issue is in your bathroom. However, there’s no other way around it. Grit your teeth, get a pair of protective gloves and a bucket and start working.
3. Check for damaged sockets
Once you do the previous two steps, look around to check if any electrical appliances were affected. Be thorough here. Often, when pipes burst, there’s a significant amount of splashing. And, if the water comes into contact with the sockets around your home, you need to know about it. Do not skip this part—it could end up being fatal.
Also, if you’d like to protect any particular furniture, shift it to somewhere dry. Here’s to hoping your upper body strength is as good as you believe it to be.
4. Note down everything
If your plumber still hasn’t arrived, you might want to make sure you didn’t call the wrong number. Maybe, take a second pass at typing ’emergency plumbing near me’ into a search engine. While you wait again, note down anything that has suffered damage.
This is especially relevant if you aren’t sure whether your home has insurance for flooding. There’s a simple way to figure this out. Most countries have a standard policy for defining what a flood is. Australian regulations, for example, have had one since 2012, with the AU Insurance Council hosting detailed information regarding this. So, if the definition matches up, you could apply for coverage.
Wait for the professionals, please
If you ever hear something along the lines of you being able to fix your pipes, ignore it.
When you take a DIY approach to such issues—especially if you don’t have the necessary expertise—you ruin things for yourself. For instance, even if you fix the problem, insurance companies may often deny providing damage coverage. Why would they? You just made yourself financially liable for the entire situation.
So, have patience and hold out. The plumber is going to be there soon enough.
