Plumbing emergencies can be stressful, but being prepared and reacting quickly and calmly can go a long way towards making it easier to handle the situation. To help you handle a plumbing emergency as swiftly and least painfully as possible, we’ve put together this quick survival guide for emergency plumbing San Jose homes should use. Finding quality help for emergency plumbing San Jose households like yours can count on can take a long time, so consider this your one-stop resource to guide you.
Remember, if you’re currently in a plumbing emergency and need immediate assistance, call us at (650) 583-3311 and we’ll send an experienced plumber to your location as soon as possible.
Part 1: Know Your Main Water Shutoff Valve
The main water shutoff valve might be the most important part to handling your plumbing emergency. In a major plumbing problem that’s big enough for someone to call an “emergency,” stopping the water from flowing out and causing damage is critical, and the main water shutoff valve serves this purpose exactly.
To shut off water to the entire house, first locate the main water shutoff valve – it’s usually in the home’s basement or in a utility area along a wall somewhere on the property. Don’t worry, you can always turn the water back on once the problem is fixed. Try turning the valve clockwise, which should stop any excessive leaking or flooding by cutting off water to the home.
It’s also highly important that after you turn off water to the property, you follow the next step.
Part 2: Deactivate the Hot Water Heater
A hot water heater without an active supply of water will build up pressure and potentially crack or burst, which can cause a real nightmare on its own with potential for water damage, scaling or other dangers.
If you’ve turned off water to the home, you’ll want to also avoid a serious issue with your hot water heater by disabling it. If you’ve got a gas water heater, you’ll want to find the pilot switch and move it to the “pilot” position, or you may need to look for a dial at the top of the thermostat and turn that to the “off” position. If you have an electric water heater, simply find the circuit breaker and change the circuit to the “off” position.
In general, it’s good to know how to disable your hot water heater anyway – remember, in any kind of situation where the water is shut off to your property but the hot water heater is running, knowing how to disable your hot water heater could help prevent serious headaches.
Part 3: Call for Professional Help
You should definitely consider calling for professional help. At Performance Plumbing, we find that most of our San Jose customers who experience a plumbing emergency are stressed and overwhelmed by the situation. Having an experienced plumber who has dealt with plumbing emergencies in the past can be a huge help in evaluating and fixing the problem. Going it alone is possible for a small percentage of people, but it can be a daunting and difficult task.
Part 4: Try to do What You Can
Even after the main water shutoff valve is switched to the disabled mode, there may be some water still leaking or requiring cleanup. Grab buckets, rags (or old clothes), towels, and duct tape if these items are handy. These can help you soak or transport water to prevent damage, and duct tape can help you temporarily patch things up before help arrives.
Hopefully after reading this post you have a clear idea of some simple steps to make it through a plumbing emergency at your San Jose home. If you’re experiencing an emergency, remember to give us a call at (650) 583-3311 for our fast emergency plumbing services.