Plumbing emergencies are a bane to homeowners. They’re messy and expensive problems that need to be addressed right away. Luckily, there are plenty of 24 hr plumbers standing by to help. While you wait for them, here are a few tips to mitigate the worst of the damage from a plumbing emergency.
The first thing to do is to find your main shut-off valve and turn it off. It’s usually located by the water meter or a well-pump supply if you have it. Once you turn the water off, you can breathe a sigh of relief. No more water will go into the leaking or burst pipes and you can focus on other parts of the problem.
If you locate the issue at the toilet, you can turn off the water supply to the toilet tank and turn back on the water to the rest of your home. If the toilet is clogged, do not flush it. The water in the tank will have nowhere to go and you will be left with an overflowing mess.
If the issue is with a burst or leaking pipe and you know how to solder, you can solder in a replacement part. However, it can be difficult to do this if the pipe is not completely dry. For more information, check out the video in the link above.