The problem with many plumbing emergencies is that they don’t generally tend to happen in standard business hours. The friendly plumber who looked after your replacement kitchen sink last summer, isn’t picking up his phone at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning, while you have water flooding into the house. Even when you manage to find a plumber who will respond at unusual hours, you may still have to deal with a crisis until he gets there.
Emergency tips
If a pipe bursts, the first thing to do is to turn off the water supply. While the plumber is on his way, drain the entire system, and the best way to do this is to turn on all of the hot and cold water taps, and keep flushing the toilet. Don’t forget to turn off your hot water heater. When the taps run dry, the leak should also stop, so you have stopped any flooding from getting worse. A clogged toilet can be a very messy and annoying problem. If water rises when you flush, use a wire coat hanger and bend it into a curved shape and push it around the bend to try to clear the blockage. If you are able to at least partially clear it, a forced cup plunger may then be able to fully unclog it. Putting paper towels or old rags around the toilet can help to deal with any messy overflow and keep the floor from getting wet and slippery. In case of a crack in a pipe, duct tape or pipe sealing tape around the crack will at least reduce the leak as a temporary situation.
What every house should have on hand
There are 24-hour plumbers from Southampton to Scotland that have every tool imaginable for the job, but it takes time for them to get to you, so there are a few basic pieces of equipment that every house should have to provide some help when that plumbing emergency happens. A bucket can not only carry your tools, it can also catch dripping water and help keep your home dry. Keep a good supply of old rags and paper towels to help soak up what you can’t catch. A few basic tools, such as a couple of pairs of pliers or wrenches, along with a multi head screwdriver set can be invaluable in your emergency plumbing kit. No home should be without a plunger set. Each one has its own specific use and can provide great unclogging power. Some good quality tape is also a good idea, to stop or slow the problem until the professional can arrive.
None of us want a plumbing emergency, but the reality of it is that most of us are going to experience a crisis at one point or another and are going to need some swift help. Waiting until we have a crisis at an unearthly hour is not advisable. It is a very good idea to have a number ready in advance for a reliable 24-hour plumber in your area, and to have some basic knowledge of what you can do in the meantime, to minimise the problem until he can arrive.