how to prevent a plumbing emergency Archives

Plumbing problems happen in your home all the time, says Mike Dunfee Management company. But most of them are mild issues that do not prevent access to the plumbing or expose your home to the risk of water damage.

There are times when your home suffers a critical plumbing failure. This is when the plumbing issues put the structures of your building at risk and also prevent the normal use of your plumbing.

Critical plumbing failures are best dealt with before they become plumbing emergencies. This means finding the problem in its early stages before it explodes into a full-blown disaster.

However, if a critical plumbing failure happens before it can be detected and prevented, the next best option is to fix the problem with the utmost speed as soon as it is discovered.

What are some common critical plumbing failures that can happen in a home?

Burst pipes

This problem is most common in winter when sub-zero temperatures freeze water pipes, causing them to burst and spew water after they thaw.

Clogged drains

This is easily the most common critical plumbing failure in homes. A clogged drain can be a mild problem or a full-blown catastrophe.

Leaking water heater

A major cause of basement flooding and mold that will not only ruin the items in the area but can even undermine the foundation of your building.

No hot water

Especially in winter, and if there are small children or elderly folks in the home, this can be a life-threatening problem.

Toilet overflows

An overflowing toilet prevents the use of the toilet, leads to severe water damage inside your home, and can also expose your family to deadly diseases.

Worn-out washing machine hoses

A washing machine hose that ruptures, either because it is old or brittle, can unleash large volumes of water inside your home in a very short time.

Sewer backup

A backed up sewer line emergency is the outcome of unaddressed clogs and blockages in your main sewer line. It will release untreated sewage inside your home.

a woman turning off her main water supply

Turn off the water supply to your home at the main water shut-off valve. This is usually found near the water meter, on the street-facing side of the house, or in the basement.

How to prevent critical plumbing failures in your home

The number one factor for finding and fixing these issues before they happen in your home is to identify the underlying factors that cause the problems. This means recognizing the impact of the following issues on your plumbing pipes, fixtures, and appliances:

Extreme seasonal temperature fluctuations
Hard water, leading to mineral buildup
Aging of materials, causing the plumbing to become brittle
The presence of debris inside wastewater, which promotes clogs and blockages
The impact of amateur plumbers on the plumbing
The effect of a home occupant’s daily habits on the plumbing

Having understood the above factors, how do you prevent critical plumbing failures in your home?

Inspect your pipes regularly: Problems like corrosion, cracks, and leaks always leave telltale signs you can look for.
Insulate your pipes: During the colder months of the year, make sure pipes are properly insulated.
Maintain your appliances: Detailed checks done periodically will prevent appliance malfunction and save you a lot of trouble.
Monitor water usage: An easy way to spot leaks in your plumbing is by monitoring your water usage to detect unusual spikes in volume.
Inspect and clean your drains: To know what is happening inside your drains, inspect them on a schedule. Yearly drain cleaning solved most drain problems.

What to do when you have a critical plumbing failure

If you have a critical plumbing failure in your home, maybe before you have a chance to implement the above, what should you do? The following steps will help you minimize the damage to your home and the inconvenience to your household.

Shut the water supply

Turn off the water supply to your home at the main water shut-off valve. This is usually found near the water meter, on the street-facing side of the house, or in the basement.

Do not use the fixture

If you are dealing with an overflowing toilet or sewer backup, do not use the toilet or do anything that will add more water to the water on your flooring.

Turn off the power

If there is a risk that water has come into contact with electricity, turn off the power supply to your home. If you have to step in water to do this, call an electrician.

Try to contain the leak

Try catching the leaking water with buckets after you have turned off the dedicated shut-off valve for the damaged fixture.

Call an emergency plumber

Emergency plumbers are plumbing professionals whose expertise is dealing with critical plumbing failures in homes. Because every second counts when dealing with plumbing emergencies, how much time it takes you to find an emergency plumber matters. This is why you want an emergency plumber on the quick dial before a critical plumbing failure happens in your home.

A capable professional plumber (preferably one who offers emergency plumbing services) is the lynchpin of your home’s plumbing maintenance plan. That plumber should be able to help you prevent and deal with any critical plumbing failures in your home.

One of the biggest fears of every household is accidents that can happen, such as a clogged sink or a broken toilet, that are not so threatening. In these minor cases, you can wait until morning to schedule a plumbing appointment. However, many other troubles are far more concerning than this. Here, we can list situations such as water heater leaks or failures, ruptured pipes, gas line leaks, toilet overflows, and even sewer line backups. People may have difficulties fixing these issues because of the high costs and money they must spend. Luckily, we at Chicago Plumbing Experts will show you some activities you can do that we believe are the best tips to prevent a plumbing emergency.

Removing sediment build-up by draining your water heater tank annually

An inner lining is placed inside to prevent a tank from corrosion due to constant contact with water. As a result, the heater will produce less hot water if the sediment builds up inside it. However, the tank can overheat and crack the protective lining if it is always running, so this will cause a significant leak. So in order to avoid this problem, the best solution is to contact a professional so they can flush your water heater yearly.

Water heater maintenance is vital for a well-running plumbing system.

Remove the usage of flushable wipes and oils, fats, or grease down your sink.

Using these wipes can cause a clog because they don’t biodegrade as quickly as other materials, and after using them, the right thing to do is to dispose of them in the trash can instead in the toilet. Also, it is essential to know that when you rinse fats, oils, or grease down your sink, they will be in a liquid state, but over time they will become sticky as they travel down the drainpipe. A clog will be formed when this sticky mass attracts debris piling up inside, so one of the most straightforward tips to prevent a plumbing emergency is to let those fats, oils, and grease solidify and throw them in the trash can.

Throwing materials in the toilet, down the sink, and in the shower drain can cause a flood.

Make seasonal plumbing appointments and know when an inspection is required.

Your plumbing system is sensitive to every season. In the winter, it is crucial to protect it from the cold and freezing weather; in the summer, it must provide you with much more water. Keep in mind that the safest tip to prevent a plumbing emergency is to create a list of items that need to be done. This way, you’ll prepare your plumbing system for the upcoming seasons. It would be best to do this checkup at least twice a year. You may possess a few skills that can come in handy when it comes to plumbing. But there are tasks and works that only a trained plumber knows how to do. We recommend just calling a reputable plumber near you to inspect and diagnose any potential threats that can create trouble in the future.

Your home’s water pressure plays a significant role, so be aware of it.

In every house, the water pressure is slightly different, but if your pressure drops strikingly during a shower, bath, or dish wash, that is alert, and something must be done. If you notice the lower pressure coming from a shower head or a faucet, know that this is very much fixable by cleaning the aerators because sediment can build up inside of it. You may also find a water pressure gauge helpful when measuring your water pressure. However, if they can not determine the root of the problem, reduced pressure can directly result from a water leak. Calling a plumber will be the perfect solution if you ever find yourself in this position.

Knowing the location of your water shut-off valve and using steel hoses will save your home.

Knowing how to shut off the water in your house will make a big difference if, by any chance, you have a burst pipe emergency in your home. The only troubles you will have after doing this are some wet mops and cleaning cloths to clean up, but it is much better than replacing a whole ceiling. Besides this, owning rubber washing machine hoses is risky because they will lose their flexibility over time, and there is even a good chance that they will burst and leak. Instead of using them, buying stainless steel hoses for your washing machines is better.

Sometimes, these things are done after a while, and unfortunately, all these problems listed will lead to water gathering. This can damage your furniture, so getting it out of the way is best. In order to avoid further damage to your things, it’s best to look for an alternative. For example, you can store your furniture in a storage unit until the repairs are done. So while searching for furniture movers here in Chicago, check out what storage solutions they can offer as well.

The lifespan of rubber hoses is shorter compared to steel ones.

Avoid using strong chemicals and toilet bowl treatments.

Don’t use harsh chemicals when you want to fix your drain blockage. They can cause the pipes and clogs to deteriorate. These home solutions represent a health hazard for you. Therefore, you can use essential tools such as a drain snake or a plunger as alternatives. Drop-in toilet bowl treatments are also a considerable risk that may corrode the pipes by contaminating the water. Luckily, there are ways to solve these matters by using natural alternatives. You can try some tips to prevent a plumbing emergency, such as using half a cup of baking soda and vinegar and pouring down the clogged drain. After waiting for about an hour, rinse the area with hot water.

Having good ventilation is crucial for the functioning of the plumbing system.

Ventilation eliminates gases and odors in your house, and it is also responsible for allowing the flow of water waste to pass through drain pipes. Therefore, the material of the ventilation piping is essential. A person can choose options like dry and wet venting options. However, the ventilation must be installed appropriately to prevent potential health hazards.

Keeping your residence safe from all these disasters is daunting. But with some knowledge, you can overcome these fears and recognize the nuisance before it happens. In this article, we wanted to share tips to prevent a plumbing emergency that are efficient. We hope that they will help you with saving your time and money.

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When Every Second Counts: Identifying Critical Plumbing Failures