One of the most stressful experiences for any homeowner to face is when a plumbing system suddenly malfunctions in a way that can create serious damage to the property. For many in the area, this scenario usually means they need to be able to quickly stabilize the situation and get help with bathroom plumbing in South San Francisco. As one of the most trusted names in emergency bathroom plumbing in South San Francisco, our team at Performance Plumbing has compiled these quick tips to help you survive this stressful situation.
Remember, if you’re having a plumbing emergency right now, call us immediately! Our 24-hour service is available 7 days a week and we’ll send someone over to fix your plumbing issue immediately. We don’t want to see a plumbing emergency drag on any more than you do, so we’ll work diligently until the problem is fixed.
If you’re not currently in an emergency or have some time on your side, here’s how you can ensure you handle your next plumbing emergency properly when it arises.
First, Do Not Panic
Okay, this is an obvious one right? We still need to mention it because keeping calm and thinking logically really makes a huge difference, but we won’t belabor the point here.
Find and Use the Main Shutoff Valve
One of the most important aspects of your property that you may not have taken the time to study carefully is the main shutoff valve for all of the water flowing to the property.
By using this valve to shut off water to the property, you can effectively and immediately pause many plumbing emergencies. Ideally, you should plan ahead and know where it’s located already, though we know some folks do not. In fact, you should probably locate and explain this important valve to all people who live at the property – a little time and effort up front could actually save you a huge amount of value by reducing damage from plumbing emergencies.
Call an Emergency Plumber Like Our Team at Performance Plumbing
Once you’re done those basic steps to get the situation stabilized, there’s still an actual plumbing problem that needs to be fixed. Turning off the water simply made the problem less obvious. If you were to turn the water back on with the problem still in place, you’d be back at square one.
Make sure you call a plumber who provides emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, like our team at Performance Plumbing does.
Turn Off the Hot Water Heater
Long story short, if you’re used the main shutoff valve and you’re waiting for the plumber to arrive, you’ll want to turn off the hot water heater to prevent it from building up steam and pressure and cracking open.
There should be an on/off switch on the unit somewhere, or you could go to a circuit breaker and disable the circuit that’s feeding it electricity.
See What Else You Can Cobble Together
If you’re still waiting for the plumber, see what equipment you have handy that could help out. For example, buckets are extremely useful for catching water that’s leaking out, and old rags plus duct tape can be a great way to temporarily patch leaks. You’d be surprised how much is out there if you just look around.
Ready to get started or need a little input or advice? Give us a call or send us an email and one of our friendly staff members will get you the information you need right away.