Have you got a Plumbing Emergency

It could be anything from a burst pipe to a gas leak. Any type of home plumbing emergency is stressful and potentially very costly. They can cause a lot of damage to the fabric of your house and to furnishings. Some could even endanger life.

You can prevent some plumbing emergencies by regularly checking and maintaining your system, but some emergencies are unavoidable.

Here’s what you can do if you experience one of the more common plumbing emergencies

Gas leaks: what to do

Gas Leak

The Gas Safe Register makes it very clear that any repairs to gas appliances must be carried out by a registered engineer, and you can find one on their website.

Gas leaks can be a threat to your safety and to the safety of your home. If you think that you can smell or hear gas escaping anywhere on your property, switch off the main valve. This is usually located where the gas main enters your house. Call a Gas Safe engineer to investigate the issue immediately.  Prepare by locating the main valve so you know where it is if an emergency arises.

Dealing with leaking or burst pipes

Leaking and Burst Pipes

The more water that escapes from the pipes, the worse the damage will be, so act fast. Turn off the main water supply to the house at the stop cock. This is sometimes at the front of the house but can be in many other locations, including in cupboards or under the stairs. It is important that you know where it is so that you don’t have to spend precious minutes hunting around for it in an emergency.  It’s probably best to call a Cheltenham Plumber company to come and help you and one option is actdirect.co.uk/services/emergency-plumber-cheltenham/.  These guys have trained staff to make sure everything is working to its best.

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Then you need to contact a professional plumber who can work out what is causing the burst or the leak and who can repair it. Even though you have turned off the main water supply, some residual water may continue to leak out of the pipe. Catch as much as you can with towels and buckets to limit the damage to your home.

When your sewer is blocked

Blocked Sewers

If you notice foul smells or spot that the drains are backing up in your home, it indicates that a sewer is blocked somewhere. Try to stop any more water entering your sewer system and call in a professional drain-clearing company.

Summary

This article explains how to respond to common plumbing emergencies. It advises switching off the main gas valve and calling a Gas Safe engineer for a suspected gas leak, turning off the water at the stop cock and containing leaks with towels or buckets for a burst pipe, and stopping further water entering the system before calling a professional if a sewer is blocked.

Questions this article raises

• How can a homeowner locate their stop cock and gas valve in advance?
• How much does an emergency call-out for a burst pipe typically cost?
• What are the warning signs that a sewer is about to back up?