Plumbing leaks are not uncommon, especially in older homes with older pipes, of which Englewood, NJ has plenty. In and of themselves, they’re not particularly troublesome and once you detect them, a trained plumber can usually repair the damage or replace the affected pipe very quickly. The problem comes when you don’t move swiftly enough, either because the leak has been hidden or because it’s subtle enough not to be noticed at first. Water damage gets worse the longer the leak goes unaddressed, and in the most dire cases can cause extensive damage to your home. The moment you realize you have a leak, you can take several specific steps to help curtail that damage.
SHUT THE WATER OFF
Every home has a control valve for its plumbing, allowing you to shut off the water to the entire household. All family members should know where it is and the moment a leak is detected, should shut the water off in the home. That stops the leaking or flooding and ensures that the damage is contained. In some cases, you may be able to shut the water off at the source of the leak — a toiler, for example, or underneath a sink — but the main shut-off valve is comprehensive
DETERMINE WHEN TO CALL REPAIRS
With the immediate issue handled, the next step is to determine whether you need an emergency repair call or whether you can make a more leisurely call to a plumber at normal business hours. Only you can make that determination, but generally speaking, if you can use non-affected parts of the plumbing while waiting for a professional, it’s best to avoid the added cost of an emergency call. If teh entire water supply is shut off and a regular call would entail more than a few hours’ wait, you should probably summon an emergency plumber.
Call BZ Dependable to take care of all your plumbing needs!
