The first step to becoming a successful homeowner or renter in Ft Worth is knowing basic emergency plumbing tips. It is no longer news that the joy of owning a home vanishes when a busted water line or backed up toilet creates an inconvenient, if not disastrous mess. The frustration of an emergency plumbing problem is even more intense if house occupants are totally ignorant of how their plumbing system works or where the control valves are located. This is something you should cover with the entire family before an emergency plumbing problem occurs.
I agree that not everyone is gifted with plumbing skills and we all cannot be plumbers. However, it does not hurt to know the basics of your home plumbing system, just in case your water line chooses to burst and flood your house when you cannot get a hold of a plumber immediately.
A broken water pipe is not the only emergency plumbing problem to watch out for. Clogged drains, frozen pipes and sewer backup are some of the other common emergency plumbing issues. A clogged drain slows or stops water from flowing in the drainage system and in a worst case scenario, the whole plumbing system blocks to a halt and occupants cannot use water anywhere in the house without having an overflow situation. The key to averting the ugly situation described above is knowing the basics about your plumbing systems and ultimately having an idea of what to do in plumbing emergencies.
Water leak or broken pipe
It is important to know the location of all of the shut-off valves controlling water supply to your utilities and appliances in the kitchen, bathroom, toilet, basement and yard. Carefully inspect your kitchen sink, toilet pipes, water heaters, heating systems, tubs and other appliances to locate the shutoff valve feeding water into them.
Another very important valve you must know the location is the main shutoff valve supplying water to your entire house. If you cannot find the shut-off valve for your systems or if you are not sure where to look, ask your plumber anytime you have him working at your house. Getting this information from a professional will help boost your confidence when you have to deal with an emergency water leak and broken pipe because then you know for sure what to turn off. You will still need to call a plumber to repair a water leak or broken pipe but putting everything under control first and taking your time to find the right plumber save you the money that you would have used to hire an emergency plumber.
DIY Broken Pipe Solution
Before you call a plumber, here is what you can do to control emergency broken pipe: Stop water from getting to the point where the pipe is broken by turning off every valve feeding water to that broken or leaky pipe. If there are no independent shutoff valves to stop water flowing to the broken pipe, then you will have to turn off the main valve supplying water to the whole house. Sometimes, shutting off water supply to the broken pipe will not stop flow of water through it immediately. In which case, you will need to open all cold water faucets in order to completely let out water in the entire system. Please note that Only cold water faucets should be turned on and not hot water faucets.
If you follow the simple steps outlined above, you will be able to control any emergency plumbing problem that results from a broken or leaky pipe. When the situation is under control, you will have a better judgment in your choice of a plumber for repairs.
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