Handyman in Edmonton: What to do During a Plumbing Emergency

When your plumbing doesn’t work as expected, it’s a real inconvenience for you and your family. Unfortunately, the real problem is the lasting damage caused by a burst pipe or an overflowing toilet. When you have a plumbing emergency, you want to call Handyman Connection for residential plumbing repair services in Edmonton to get your home back to its routine. Here are some things you can do before the plumber arrives to prevent the problem from getting any worse.

Turn Off The Water Supply

If you’re seeing water coming out where it shouldn’t, the first thing to do is turn off the supply. Know where the shutoffs are located in your home and where the main shutoff is outside your home. Make sure you also know how to turn off the main shutoff and what tools you might need. In most cases, you can turn the main off by hand, but if you have to access the water meter, you may need a water key. The quicker you can cut off the water supply, the less damage is done to your home.

Turn Off The Water Heater

Know how to turn the water heater off as well. Because a water heater doesn’t have an on/off switch, you’ll probably need to turn the breaker off if it’s an electric heater. With a gas heater, you’ll want to turn off the pilot or switch it to vacation mode. Make sure the water is turned off to the water heater. Drain the water heater if you can using a water hose. Open the hot water faucets to release air into the system for draining.

Deal With Small Leaks

Use buckets or towels to catch water from smaller leaks. You may not be able to stop the leak, but you can keep water from impacting the structure of your home. Make sure to point these leaks out to the plumber who provides plumbing repair services in Edmonton.

What Constitutes a Plumbing Emergency?

It can be difficult to know whether you should call a plumber immediately or not when you have a small leak or a clogged toilet. The key is to assess the situation calmly while managing the immediate problem by turning the water off. Here are some common water emergencies.

1. Flooding – it’s surprising how much water can come into your home from one small pipe that breaks. Flooding is bad news for your home. Turn off the water supply. Clean up what you can while you’re waiting for a plumber. A burst pipe is not a DIY project. You don’t want more damage to your home, so call a plumber quickly.

2. Overflowing toilet – most homeowners can unclog a toilet with a plunger, but when the water is flowing over without stopping, it’s time to get a plumber. Again, turn off the water to minimize the water coming out onto your floors. Avoid flushing the toilet until repairs are performed.

3. Frozen pipes – frozen pipes are definitely an emergency since you don’t have running water until they’re unfrozen. Let a plumber thaw the pipes instead of DIY. Improperly thawing the pipes can lead to even bigger problems.

4. Water heater failure – if water is leaking out of the bottom of the water heater or if you smell rotten eggs, you need to shut the water heater off. The smell of rotten eggs signifies a natural gas leak. A small water heater leak can quickly become a big problem that not only cuts off your hot water supply but damages the floor and walls around the heater.

Contact Handyman Connection for plumbing repair services in Edmonton. Our plumbers are licensed, insured and ready to make emergency and non-emergency repairs.