Don’t forget before the emergency plumber arrives to try and limit the amount of damage that can be caused by the plumbing emergency.
Turn Off the Water Supply
Most stopcocks are found near where the mains pipe enters the house. Typically this is under the kitchen sink but can also be found under the ground in the garden in a small cover near the boundary of your property.
Isolate Electricity Near Water
Water and electricity near each other is hazardous. So, switch off the power at the consumer unit of the relevant circuit for the affected area of the house before attempting to touch any wet items. In fact, treating any doubt as sufficient reason to switch off power to a relevant circuit, around water, is in line with current guidance on electrical safety around water.
Deal With an Overflowing Toilet or Drain
If your toilet has suddenly overflowed then lift the cistern lid and press down the float for the cistern. If you have a drain that is suddenly overflowing then try and stop using the other sinks and showers in your home. Remember that if you add more water to a clogged drain when it is already overflowing then you will only make the problem worse.
Protect Flooring and Belongings
You can protect your flooring and other possessions by laying out towels or moving a rug as soon as possible. If water is entering through your ceiling, place a bucket below the leak and try to move any furniture away from the affected area as soon as possible. Even a small amount of work now could save you a lot of money in repair costs later.
Have Information Ready for the Engineer
Finally when your emergency plumber arrives to sort out your emergency plumbing repair, it will help lots if you have listed and can tell them – the location and cause of your leak and the actions you have taken (and possibly are still taking) and whether you have shut off the stopcock(s) for your home and where they are located. There is more on Emergency Plumber Gloucester at https://www.hprservicesltd.com/emergency-plumber-gloucester.
A calm, methodical few minutes at the start really does reduce the overall damage.
