 As a homeowner or renter, we have to deal with many issues that spring up. One of those is a leaky pipe. But what do you do? If it’s something outside of your ability to fix, call the plumber right away to have them make an emergency visit. But in the meantime, what do you do to provide a temporary fix to keep the damage to a minimum?
First thing you’ll want to do when you discover a leaky pipe is to throw a bucket underneath it to stop water from getting all over the floor. Then quickly turn the main water valve off to stop the flow of water coming through the pipes. Then turn on the faucets connected to the leaky pipe to drain those pipes. Next, you’ll want to clean up the mess, by drying the wet areas with some towels. Including wiping the leaky pipe dry to prepare it for a temporary patch. Tighten the joints of the pipes with an adjustable wrench to fit it to the pipe’s size. If the pipe has loosened, then that may be a source of where the leak is coming from. So you’ll want to tighten them up. Depending on the items you have in your home or have time to pick up at your local hardware store, you can patch the pipe in a few different ways. The preferred way is to apply some epoxy putty. You’ll need some rubber gloves to knead the putty by hand, and then you can apply it to the source of the leak. Wrap the putty completely around the pipe where the leak is happening about an half inch thick, taper the edges so it has a water tight seal. You can turn the water back on after 5-10 minutes after it is dry. You can also apply duct tape, by wrapping it tightly around the pipe several times while you wait for the plumber to arrive. When you’re in need of emergency plumbing services, give us a call at Tony’s Plumbing for quality service to help you in your time of need. We can get someone to your home and to fix the leak as quickly as possible!
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 Drip, drip, drip… The last thing someone wants to see is an unexpected leak, or something worse happening in their bathroom. You may start to immediately call your plumber, but stop and access if this is something you can take care of on your own. Let’s discuss some items you should have in your home in case an emergency like this happens to arise. Then you’ll have the tools to bandage before a plumber can arrive, or perhaps fix the problem on your own.
The first thing you’ll want to do when you discover a problem with a leak or drip is to turn off your main water supply. This will stop the problem while you access what is going wrong, and continue to do work on fixing the problem. Things you should have on hand to help with various issues are: A pipe wrench or tongue and groove pliers. Pipe wrenches are mainly used for steel or iron piping, while tongue and groove pliers that are also called slip-joint or channel-type pliers. They have a sliding adjustable size opening with longer handles. If you’re tightening the pipes to stop water from leaking out then you’ll need two, one to clamp and hold one pipe, while you are using the other one to twist and tighten the other. Plumber’s repair putty. You can apply this epoxy putty to help plug a leak up in a pinch. Per the instructions, knead the putty then apply to where the leak is emanating from, and it will harden in an hour. This will keep the leak contained until you can find a permanent repair solution. Electrical or Duct Tape and Hose Clamps. Just like the repair putty, these items can also be used in a pinch for a quick and temporary solution. If you have small pinhole leaks, you can wrap electrical or duct tape around the pipe several times. To keep it tight apply hose clamps to the ends of the tape. It will hold things at bay, until you can get a plumber to come out for your emergency. Assorted Washers. These items can help you with your dripping faucets, as they are an easy repair with just a replacement of the washer in the faucet. If you are clearing a clogged drain you may need to replace the slip washer after you have taken the drain apart. Figure out what sizes you will need for your different fixtures, so you can have several replacements on hand for emergencies. Plungers. When you hear plunger, we all immediately think of a toilet plunger. This is the item everyone probably already has on hand, but it doesn’t hurt to bring it up. Every bathroom needs an accessible plunger for when that horrible moment of the water slowly rising to the top of the toilet bowl as you dive for the water shut off valve at the back of the toilet to stop the terribleness from overflowing onto your bathroom floor. But you should also have a drain plunger for clog blocking a drain trap in your sink, shower, or tub. Drain Auger. When you find your drain is backed up and the usual methods of a drain plunger, and a baking soda/vinegar clearing is not doing the trick, then it’s time to employ the drain auger. Also, known as a drain snake, you can insert the metal cable into the drain and extend it through the drain with a rotating handle to break up or extract the clog. If you find yourself in an emergency situation and need repairs, give us a call today at Tony’s Plumbing and we’ll come to your rescue!  You can find emergency kits out there for everything. So we thought why not have your own plumbing emergency kit? Plumbing emergencies are just as likely, if not likelier, than other emergencies. While we don’t recommend long term fixes come out of these emergency kits, we do recommend short term problem solving to keep the damage at bay before a professional can take a look! So here goes, a quick guide on your very own Plumbing Emergency Kit.
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AuthorAt Tony's Plumbing & Heating, we offer outstanding residential and commercial plumbing and heating services in the East Twin Cities metro. With our blog, we hope to bring you useful tips and tricks for ever day life! Archives
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