5 Most Common Plumbing Emergencies and How to Respond

When it comes to regular plumbing and heating servicing or repairs it often pays to use a professional service such as Bayside Gas Frankston, for instance, as they can often spot a potential problem before it becomes an emergency.

Sometimes, things can go wrong in your home and you are faced with a plumbing emergency that needs urgent attention. It’s highly advisable to deal with the issue as quickly as possible to avoid damage to your home if the problem gets out of hand.

Here’s a look at the most typical plumbing emergencies you might face and what you need to do in response.

Your water heater stops working

You will quickly realize that there’s a problem when you don’t have any hot water and the heating system is not responding. A common cause for this failure is when the pilot light has gone out for some reason.

The first thing to try is to locate the switch or button on the water heater that fires up the pilot light when it has gone out. You might need to remove a cover to access this. A constant flame should be visible when the pilot light has reignited. If that doesn’t work you should get a plumber to look at it. This is because a very common reason for the pilot light to go out is when there is an issue with the thermocouple. That is a job for a qualified plumber.

You smell gas

There is a very valid safety reason why gas is made to release an odor. If you smell gas in your home you should turn off the supply as quickly as possible and call for immediate help.

A gas leak can quickly become a threat to life. Act immediately when you suspect there is a problem with gas escaping from an appliance or a damaged pipe.

Water leaking

Water leaks can be gradual or cause instant flooding, depending on the circumstances and cause.

Any sign of water leaking should be dealt with without delay as it could cause a lot of damage to your property. Shut off the water supply to your home as a first step. If you believe that the leak is only the hot water supply you could isolate this so that you still have water in your home while you get someone to investigate and fix the problem.

Feeling unwell?

Every home should have a carbon monoxide detector fitted so that you get an early warning of a problem. If you have a persistent headache or feel nauseous this could be because of a carbon monoxide leak.

Act quickly and seek help as this is a threat to life.

Sewerage problem

When your sewer system backs up it could be very unpleasant to deal with raw sewage coming up through your shower and toilet system.

This is usually a job that is best left to a plumber. They will clear the blockage in the most efficient way possible and try to direct the sewage away from your property in order to prevent damage to your property and health.

These five scenarios are very common occurrences in homes everywhere. Knowing how to deal with them and who to call can help minimize the risk and reduce the amount of damage caused to your property.