Water leaks are the monsters that live in your closet. But, how do you deal with them yourself?
You’re lying in bed at night after a hard day’s work. Suddenly, you hear something terrifying: a consistent drip. You wonder, “Could it be an urban legend come to life?” Getting up, you slide your feet into your slippers and go to check it out. What it is is so much worse than anything lurking in the dark: Your pipes have burst and you have a water leak.
It’s one of the worst feelings in the world. It also always seems to happen during the weekend or in the middle of the night, as if pipes are sentient objects that exist to make our lives that much harder. While that’s more likely projection, entering your kitchen to see a bulging ceiling is not, exactly, what you want to come home to at any time of day.
Dealing With Water Leaks on the Spot
It goes without saying that you should turn to the professionals to deal with water leaks of any size. However, when they occur in the middle of the night, finding plumbing services in Henderson open 24/7 is impossible. Therefore, it’s good to know how to deal with your water leaks temporarily until you can jump on the phone with somebody first thing.
So, what do you do to temporarily deal with a water leak or a burst pipe? What can you do to ensure your home suffers as little damage as possible until you can get somebody in? There are ways and there are things to do, you just need to brush up on them.
1. Shut Off Water At the Source
Possibly the most important step in dealing with water leaks is to shut off the water completely. You’re going to be gaining nothing if the water is still turned on and the plumbing is still working. You’ll just see more and more water which, if it gets into the foundations of your home, can cause dangerous things such as black toxic mould.
You should already know where your mains valve is, as it differs from home to home. In some homes, you’ll find the water shut-off valve in the basement or on an exterior wall. Others, you might find the valve under the kitchen sink or in a closet in the bathroom. Once you’ve shut off the valve, you’ll then have to do something that sounds counterintuitive: Turn on all the faucets.
Tip: When you’re buying a new home, make sure you know where the main valve is. Furthermore, make sure everyone in your home knows, too. It could save you a lot in damages.
2. Drain the Remaining Water
Once you’ve shut off the water, you need to go through the house and turn on every faucet. You might have turned off the water, but what was already in the pipes will still be inside of them.
Opening the faucets means all the water inside the pipes will have the chance to drain. As the water comes out, it’ll clear the system and make your plumber’s job easier, to boot.
Allow all of the faucets to drain completely.
3. Clean and Dry the Pipe
Once the water has stopped running from the faucets, get a dry cleaning cloth to wipe the area around the leak. Although this will only come into play if you know the location of the leaky pipe or it’s easy to get to. It’s also worth placing a bowl or bucket underneath where the dripping is coming from to protect your floor or surfaces.
4. Patch it Up
If you can see the part of the pipe that’s leaking, you can temporarily patch it up until you can get someone to come and look at it. How you patch up the leak depends on the damage to the pipe. For example, if the damage is small (‘pinhole’) you can use plumbing or electrical tape to stave off further damage.
However, if the leak is bigger, you’re either going to have to dip into your supplies or run to the nearest hardware store to get them. Luckily, there’s nothing needed to fix a water leak you can’t find at any neighborhood spot. Other ways to temporarily patch up the leak include:
- Epoxy putty: A plumber’s best friend, use putty if the pipe has a small hole or crack. It’s generally easy to use in that all you need to do is run it between your fingertips to warm it up and then apply to the damage. Once it’s on, it’ll set pretty quickly.
- Wrench: If the damage to your pipe is at a threaded joint, you can use a wrench to tighten it. While this might not always completely stave the leak, it should slow it down until you can see a professional.
- Pencil: You heard right! Small holes can be patched up using some good, old-fashioned high school DIY. If the hole is no bigger than the size of a pencil, you can sharpen it, plug up the hole, and then cut off the tip of the pencil. Once that’s done, you can wrap some duct tape around it until you can see a plumber.
Water leaks are the worst, even if you know what you’re doing. Luckily, professionals exist for a reason and there’s no reason to aid the Las Vegas water shortage while also destroying your home.
Simply call someone.
After all, that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to help.