Responsible homeowners keep a close eye on their property. They can even enjoy taking care of everything and ensuring everything is running as it should.
However, things can be decidedly less fun when a leaking pipe immerges. As if the higher water bill expenses aren’t enough to contend with, these leaks can cause devastating damage to properties and leave homeowners spiralling in stress and confusion. Water companies can refuse to accept responsibility too.
Mould, mildew, and rot can fester if these problems aren’t addressed. Everything from minor wallpaper peeling to major structural damage can occur, making homes unsightly in the best-case scenarios and unsafe in their worst.
Consequently, it’s important to plan for these circumstances to curb the amount of damage a leaking pipe can do. Here are some strategies for minimising damage from a leaking pipe.
Turn Off the Water
When finding a significant leaking pipe, the first instinct is to call a plumber. That should be the second item on your agenda, though.
Quick reaction times matter here to stop the leak from getting worse or causing more damage. Turn your inside stop valve off, which is typically located beneath the kitchen sink, but can also be under the stairs, floorboards, or in cellars, garages, or airing cupboards. Doing this should stop the leak from continuing. Remember that you might need to temporarily turn on all your faucets to flush out any leftover water in your home’s pipework.
Another perk of doing this is that it will buy you time to reach out to plumbers with greater composure. You’ll be less desperate to find the right tradesperson, and you can spend some time making a more well-informed decision.
Know How to Find Great Plumbers
Plumbers will fix your leaking pipe. Most people tend to field recommendations amongst family and friends when searching for one, especially when panicked by an emergency.
However, this approach isn’t always the best. It can make finding a plumber needlessly convoluted, and you can start to question how much you trust your loved ones to provide a reliable recommendation. Others may Google ‘plumbers near me’ and be sent on a wild goose chase. If anything, these experiences can increase your feelings of anxiety and indecisiveness.
Therefore, visiting websites like MyBuilder, where you can post that you need pipe leak repair services from plumbers directly, is best. Once you’ve posted your job, local plumbers will contact you, and then you can sift through your replies, compare quotes for free, browse work profiles and histories, and then choose the plumber you’d like to share details with. Ultimately, it’s a faster and more informative way to get the help you need, and this approach ensures you won’t fall victim to scams or underwhelming services.
Clean Up Effectively
Once the water’s on the floor or in furnishings, it can still cause damage, even if the source of the leak is stopped. Conditions may also impede your plumber’s progress in fixing things.
Switch off your electrics at the mains. Remove all electric items from the flooded area and any nearby areas that might soon be affected.
Your next priority should be to clean what you can. Open doors and windows to counteract condensation and mould. Mop the floor, wipe down any surfaces, and use disinfectant if the leaking water isn’t clean. Wrap a towel around the pipe as a temporary measure, just to mitigate any dripping.
Some of these measures might seem like overkill. However, if your plumber is in unsavoury working conditions, it can also slow their ability to perform. If bad conditions are left, they may also lead to further property damages caused by slips and trips. Do your best to control the chaos, and everything can be put right faster.
Keep an Eye on Your Bills
As previously mentioned, leaking pipes can cause water bills to skyrocket. It can be especially true if there’s no other visual evidence for the water leak.
While drones can be used to identify hidden leaks in public areas, the same is unlikely to be true for your property. Instead, you’ll need to keep a close eye on your water bills, as that’s the first sign that something can be wrong. If leaks occur in the walls or foundations of your property, then it can cause epic structural damage that you won’t be able to see for yourself until the major damage is done.
Installing a smart metre might be a good idea as it can give accurate real-time water usage data. You should then be able to spot any irregularities much sooner if your bills unexpectedly bump a few figures.
Conclusion
A leaking pipe requires a fast and diligent response, whether major or minor, seen or unseen. Fortunately, if you turn off the water, work to help a diligent plumber, and intermittently keep an eye on your water bills, you should be able to stave off the worst of what water damage can do. You should always plan ahead for any disaster; the same is true for a leaking pipe.
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