Fixing plumbing problems is always important, but sometimes you can wait a while to fix something without major repercussions. When it comes to a plumbing emergency, that’s not the case. Calling an emergency plumber at the first sign of an emergency can prevent thousands in structural damage to your St. Paul, MN, home. However, you also need to know how to handle a plumbing emergency while you wait for an emergency plumber to get there. If you want to be prepared for any plumbing emergency that might come your way, here are 5 things you need to know as a homeowner.
1. Shutting Off Water
The first thing every homeowner needs to know when it comes to dealing with a plumbing emergency is how to shut off water to a home. Every home has a main water shutoff valve that allows you to quickly turn off water to your entire home. In some cases, you may have stop valves on individual fixtures, in which case you can simply shut off water to the affected fixture.
Turning off your water while you wait for an emergency plumber to arrive is a crucial part of preventing costly damage. If you have a bad leak, 10 minutes can make all the difference in terms of water damage. If you’re not sure where your main shutoff valve is or how to use it, you should have a professional explain it to you.
2. What Is a Plumbing Emergency?
Before you go spending the extra money to hire an emergency plumber, it’s important to understand what actually constitutes a plumbing emergency. If a problem is minor, it’s always best to hire a regular plumbing service, even if it takes a little longer to get things fixed.
Burst pipes are one of the most common plumbing emergencies because of how much damage they can cause. If a pipe bursts in your home, the first thing you should do is shut the water off and call an emergency plumber.
An overflowing toilet is also one of the bigger plumbing problems you can have. While this might not be a huge deal for some people, an overflowing toilet can cause significant water damage in your bathroom and leave a mess that nobody wants to clean up.
Basically, anything that will quickly get worse with time is considered a plumbing emergency. Making sure you get your plumbing repaired quickly is the best way to minimize damage in these cases.
3. Avoid Standing Water
There are some plumbing emergencies that aren’t necessarily dangerous to you, but standing water is a different case. If you have standing water in your St. Paul, MN, home, you need to call an emergency plumber and keep your distance while you wait for them to fix the problem. There are numerous things that can make standing water dangerous even if it doesn’t seem that way.
One thing you have to think about with standing water is that you never know what’s in it. While most water won’t cause any serious issues, sewage backups and other nasty causes of standing water are a hazard to your health. A plumbing company can help clean up the damage and repair whatever caused the standing water in the first place.
You also have to consider the risk of electrocution. When standing water goes high enough that it reaches electrical outlets, the water may become electrically charged. In these cases, turning off power to your home is the best solution.
4. Sewage Backups
Speaking of sewage backups, this is one problem you never want to deal with on your own in any fashion. Sewage backups are filled with nasty waste that can cause health problems if you don’t dispose of it properly. Plus, you need to have a professional handle your sewage backup because everything needs to be sanitized after the backup is removed.
If you have standing water in your home or yard that you suspect may be a result of a sewage leak or sewage backup, make sure you call an emergency plumber. You should also stop using any drains in your home until the problem is fixed to avoid making the problem worse.
You might even consider hiring a water damage restoration company in addition to an emergency plumber to help clean thoroughly clean things up after a sewage backup.
5. Preventing Mold Growth
When you have a plumbing problem in your home, one of the most important steps is making sure all the water is cleaned up after the repair is done. This might not seem like a huge deal to some people, but any moisture that’s left in a dark area creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew. When you hire an emergency plumber, make sure they completely dry the area before moving on to the next job.
You might also consider using things like vinegar or bleach to help kill mold if it’s developing somewhere. Mold tends to spread fairly quickly, so it’s important to stop it at its source as soon as possible. If you leave mold to grow in any part of your home, you’ll eventually have to spend a lot of money on mold remediation services or structural repairs.
The Easy Way
Dealing with a plumbing emergency is no easy task, especially when you’re in the heat of the moment. The best thing you can do if you have an emergency plumbing problem at your home is call an emergency plumber and shut your water off to minimize damage.
The good news is, Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains of St. Paul, MN, makes it a lot easier to deal with plumbing emergencies. All you have to do is call us and we’ll head straight over to get things fixed up so you can return to your normal life. Next time you need a hand with a plumbing emergency, take the easy route and call Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains at (612) 236-9052.
