One of the most serious things that can happen to your home is a plumbing emergency and, even though it is not as dangerous as fire or electrical problems, it can get quite problematic. The thing with plumbing is that the entire system is not completely visible and you cannot know when the issue is going to rise – it can happen while you are sleeping, when you are at work, or, the worst case scenario, when you are away from home on a vacation. And not only can water, for example, damage your home, but it can, if you live in a residential building, affect your neighbors as well, quite heavily. So, in order to prevent mishaps, here are a couple of ways you can deal with the most common causes of plumbing emergencies.

Gas Leaks

This issue is probably the most easily detectable one: if you smell gas all over your home, the chances are that there is a gas leak. But, as soon as you do detect it, be sure to follow the proper course of action and contact your plumber at once – the more you wait, the more serious the problem gets. What you can, however, do before the plumber arrives to your home is regulate the main valve and switch it off immediately. This should be done instantly – preventing further leaks prevents not only explosions and damages to the property, but also health threats and diseases.

Heating Breakdown

Similar to gas, you can deal with heating breakdowns on your own first, but alert a plumber, too. The first thing you should do is minimize the damage and, as soon as you see a problem with the heating system, check the thermostat, burner switch and the circuit breaker. Make sure they are working properly, quickly fix or restart them if you have a chance to.

The heating system is quite complicated and delicate, running all through your home and cannot always be seen due to its complex structure. During the winter months, it is usually working in full capacity, so, besides trying to figure out how to make your radiator a bit nicer, you should consider how to make the most of it. It does not matter if you have central heating system or not, you should make sure your heating installations are properly working in order to prevent serious damage.

Burst Pipes

In a recent conversation with an experienced Sydney-based emergency plumber, I discovered that probably the most financially harmful thing that can happen to your plumbing system are burst pipes and all the things that come after that accident. Unfortunately, there is little you can do to prevent it – it is not like you can see through the walls and detect when the pipes are going to burst – so all you are left with is damage control and assessment. To top it all off, you cannot even be sure that the pipes will not burst at certain times of year, because the threat is equally serious in winter and summer as well, whether from freezing or overheating.

What you can do is take immediate action when you see the problem arising and the best way to go is to shut the main valve off and then contact a professional plumbing service. However, people generally panic and tend to take the wrong steps, which only leads to further problems – they try to stop the water burst themselves and, being inexperienced, do more harm than good.

Further Actions

Once the plumber solves your problems, you should ask them to give you instructions on how you can act properly should the problems reappear. Knowing how to prevent emergencies is more than helpful, but still have a plumber’s phone number nearby just in case.