What to Do When a Plumbing Pipe Bursts

February 21st, 2019 Posted in Emergency Plumbing
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Water flows through the walls, floors and ceilings of your home day and night, usually without a drop of water escaping the pipes of your plumbing. But, plumbing is not infallible, and these pipes can leak or burst, causing extensive damage to your home. When a pipe breaks or springs a leak, you need to act fast to reduce the water damage. Knowing what to do can help you react quickly if you ever come home to a plumbing pipe emergency in your home.

Shut the Water Off

When you discover a leak or broken pipe, the first thing you need to do is shut the water off. For some fixtures and appliances, there may be a localized shut off valve you can use. Most sinks, toilets, washing machines and water heaters will have a shut off valve, but you can always use the main shut off valve for the home.

Call the Plumber

Find a local plumber that offers emergency service and give them a call. Many have 24/7 emergency service, so you can get the help you need any time of day or night.

Soak Up the Water

While you wait for the plumber to arrive, soak up as much water as you can to reduce the damage to surfaces. Be careful if there is extensive flooding – electrical shock can occur if any appliances are touching the wet floor.

Acting fast in a plumbing emergency can reduce the amount of water that flows into your home and help minimize water and mold damage. Keep a reputable local plumber on speed dial so you have a reliable professional to call when you need them.

Posted on behalf of:
Kiddco Plumbing, Inc.
106-M Oakgrove Road
Sterling, VA 20166
(703) 435-4441

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How to Find Your Water Shut-Off Valve

September 4th, 2018 Posted in Emergency Plumbing
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If you had a burst water pipe gushing water into your home, would you know how to shut off the water quickly? Every homeowner – and even renter – should know how they can stop the water flow in their house in an emergency. In less than a half an hour, hundreds of gallons of water could be in your home, causing extensive damage to your belongings and house. Here is how to find the water shut-off valve in your home to prepare you in case of a plumbing emergency.

First, you should know there may be several water shut-off valves in your home. Each sink may have its own valve under the sink so you can stop water flowing to the sink while replacing fixtures. Your toilets may also have their own valves – if your toilet is continuing to run and overflow or a sink’s faucet springs a leak, you can shut off the water right at the source.

However, if a pipe bursts in a wall, you want to shut off all water to the home. This is the main shut-off valve to the home. This will stop all water coming into your home from your city water line or your well. This valve is typically located wherever the main water line comes into the home. It may be under the home in a crawl space or basement, but should be easy to reach. It can also be in a garage or by the water heater in homes without crawl spaces or basements.

It is important to know where your shut-off valves are located. If a plumbing emergency occurs, turn off the water and call your local plumber to avoid any unnecessary damage to your home and property.

Posted on behalf of:
Bynum & Sons Plumbing, Inc.
2120 McDaniels Bridge Rd SW
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 884-4678

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Turning Off the Water For An Emergency Water Leak

November 7th, 2011 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Plumbing emergencies happen at all hours of the day or night.  Fortunately, most reputable plumbers offer 24 hour emergency plumbing services seven days a week to handle any plumbing emergency.  For many plumbing problems, just calling the plumber is all you need to do.  The plumber will be on the way and have the problem fixed in a few hours.

However, if the problem involves a water line leak, a burst pipe, an overflowing toilet that keep running, or some other emergency that involves water leaking into your home, you should try to stop the flow of water while waiting for the plumber to arrive.  All that water can cause serious damage to your walls, floors, ceilings, cabinets and other fixtures.

For most sinks or toilets, look for a silver water shutoff valve in the cabinet under the sink or behind the toilet.  Turn the handle clockwise until it stops to shut off the water.  For other leaks, look for a water shutoff valve that turns off the water to the whole house.

This valve is usually located inside your home near where the water supply line enters your home.  The valve might be a gate valve that usually has a round red handle or a ball valve that has yellow rectangular handle. If you have a gate valve, turn it clockwise until it stops.  This could be several turns.  A ball valve only turns a quarter turn, usually clockwise, until the handle is perpendicular to the pipe.

You may also have a ball valve or gate valve near the water meter at the street.  If you have one of these it will probably be in a small box.  If you cannot find any of these water valves, have the water turned off at the meter.  This requires a special tool so you will need to call the water company and have them take care of it.

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