How to Find the Right Emergency Plumbing Service to Control Water Damage in Your Home
An emergency plumbing situation may occur at any time in your home. If the uncontrolled water flow is not stopped immediately it leads to extensive water damage to your house structure and the things you have in your home. It is not always possible for a homeowner to handle a plumbing emergency and you need to have the services of an urgent plumber to tackle this water-related emergency and avoid other resulting water damage issues inside your house.
Water is an important and inevitable element in your house. Your plumbing system would have been designed and laid out in such a way that water is available at the required places at all times under controlled conditions. It is capable of keeping the water flow under control and if there is a major fault, failure, or bursting of pipes your house gets flooded due to the uncontrolled flow of water leading to serious water damage.
This causes enormous damage to your home and the things you are having in it. The water damage is a very serious issue in a residential house and any emergency plumbing issue must be tackled promptly and thoroughly to avoid the bad effects of water seepage and consequential damage to the basic structure of your home. Seeking immediate professional help is necessary to avoid all types of moisture-related issues to stop the flow of water, dry the flooded areas, and repair the areas affected by water damage.
A plumbing emergency can occur in the plumbing system that handles clean water in your house and it may be mainly due to breaking or leakage of water lines that take water into your house from the mainline or the pipeline that takes water from your main water supply line to any of the water points.
This type of water is mostly harmless and can be cleaned easily. It can be done by you if there is not any other damage or moisture-related issues after the flooding. Depending on the type of and extent of flooding you can engage an urgent plumber to cap the leak or repair the broken line and you can do the cleaning and bring your home to normal operation within a short time.
Emergency Plumbing and Types Of Water In Your House
But if the plumbing emergency occurs in a pipeline or the part of the plumbing system that carries the grey water from dishwashers, washing machines, clean toilets, etc it is better to seek professional help for both repairing the damaged part of the plumbing system and also for cleaning the flooded area.
Though you can do it by yourself it is better to be left to the professional water damage cleaners as they will do a better job and by inspecting the flooded area, they can spot the damaged area and suggest further works to be done to avoid costly and heavy damage caused by seepage of water into your home structure.
If the plumbing emergency occurs due to the failure of the plumbing system that carries the black water, it is not a project for you and you have to compulsorily call your urgent plumber and get the plumbing system back to normal as early as possible.
As the black water is the sewage water it contains all types of contaminants that will cause serious damage to your home along with many types of infections leading to severe health problems. So, in the case of a black water-related plumbing emergency immediately contact your plumber and get the plumbing system repaired as early as possible.
Here let us see all the aspects of water damage in a residential home by knowing about
Plumbing emergency Vs plumbing problem
How to identify an emergency plumbing problem
What to do in a plumbing emergency
Steps to take in case of a plumbing emergency
How to select your urgent plumber
Insurance cover for water damage
Plumbing Emergency Vs Plumbing Problem
Every homeowner you must know the difference between a plumbing emergency and plumbing problem. Plumbing problems are the ones that you can readily identify the source of the problem and control the unwanted flow of water without having to shut down your entire household water supply. In this case, you can wait until the arrival of your plumber during his regular working hours.
Whereas a plumbing emergency is a sudden failure or bursting of a plumbing fitting or a pipeline where you cannot identify and stop the flow of water. During a plumbing emergency, the problem of water flooding continues to damage your home and you are forced to stop the entire flow of water to your home. In this case, you have to call your plumber immediately to save your home from serious water damage.
How To Identify An Emergency Plumbing Problem
When you see water flowing uncontrollably from a pipeline or damp marks appear in the walls or the roof or the flooring of your house all of a sudden and it is rapidly escalating with water accumulating in one or more areas of your home you are in a real plumbing emergency.
When you have a burst pipe and you are unable to stop the water supply to the pipe or fixture you have to shut up the main water supply leaving your entire house with no water to any of your faucets, toilets, bathroom or kitchen.
In case of a leaky water heater, you find that your water heater supply line is leaking water and you are unable to reduce the temperature of water setting or cannot turn off the power supply to your water heater.
In case of a blocked sewer line: Multiple plumbing fixtures are involved and this may lead to a back flow of sewage into your house leading to safety and health risks.
When there is higher than normal water consumption: this implies that there is a broken or burst water supply line, and if left unattended it is likely to cause a lot of water damage to your property.
If you are not able to understand the nature of the plumbing problem and decide if it is only a simple plumbing problem or a pressing plumbing emergency act immediately by and switch off the main water supply and electrical supply to your home and call your urgent plumber immediately.
What To Do In A Plumbing Emergency
Every homeowner will face a plumbing emergency at one point or another. But you must be ready with a contingency plan and know how to handle a plumbing emergency. You must have the contact details of your urgent plumber so that there is the least delay in contacting him.
You should understand that when the plumbing problem has become an emergency it is not a DIY project for you to handle and the only best thing you can do is to get professional help as soon as possible to minimize the water damage to your home.
Steps to take in case of a plumbing emergency
· Shut off the water supply when there is a failure of a particular plumbing fitting you can shut off the source of water to that particular fixture.
· In case of large and emergencies with uncontrolled flooding turn off the main water supply wall to your home.
· Turn off your water heater: When you have shut up the water supply, your water heater will not get water and it may overheat damaging the unit or may even lead to an explosion. So turn off your water heater immediately after turning off the water supply
· Handle small leaks: find out the small leaks and try to plug them with available materials so that water flow is minimized.
· Open drains and spigots: There will be water in the pipes even after closing the valve so to drain out water open all the drains and spigots to drain water away from your home
· Call an urgent plumber immediately
· You may be tensed as the plumbing emergency unfolds but do not forget to call your emergency plumbing service before doing anything else.
How to select your urgent plumber
Whenever there is a plumbing emergency in your home, the extent of water damage depends on how fast you can control the flow of water. This is possible only when you know that you are facing a plumbing emergency in your house. Once you do this you should not waste time finding the right professional plumber for setting right the emergency plumbing problem.
As you may need to find an emergency plumbing service provider within a short time you must be having a ready list of selected plumbers who are available 24 X7 and will be at your doorstep within the shortest possible time-lapse. For this, there are many ways to find the plumber of your choice, but with the advent of internet-based services and Smartphone-based apps, you can use the Apps like U- Plumber ( https://www.uplumber.com) to find the urgent plumber you need to handle the plumbing emergency at your home.
U-plumber is a unique app where you have the list of well experienced, knowledgeable, and professionally trained plumbers who are active in your location. This App adds a plumbing company only if they fulfill their high professional standards and those who have received many good customer reviews.
As a homeowner, it is a good practice to install the App in your Smartphone and select and maintain a list of urgent plumbers whom you can call for any emergency plumbing work at any time of the day. UPlumber is a free App for the homeowners and it is offering a host of very useful services to both the homeowners and the Plumbers so that you can easily handle any type of emergency plumbing needs.
Insurance Cover for Water Damage
Water damage is covered under most types of Home Owner’s insurance policies if the damage is due to a sudden and accidental plumbing emergency. These policies pay for the repairs and replacements due to water damage. There are two types of insurance coverage for water damage depending on what is damaged in your home:
Dwelling coverage: in this type of insurance coverage for water damage you can get coverage for the damage caused to the structure of the house like the damage caused to a wall or ceiling or flooring due to sudden and accidental breakage in a pipe or due to bursting of a pipe inside the house.
Personal Property Coverage: this covers the damage caused to your belongings in your home when they are damaged by sudden and accidental water damage. You get the amounts required for their repair or replacement.
But this coverage is subject to deductibles and limitations and applies to damages occurring due to sudden and accidental causes. The following cases of water damage are not usually covered under the home owner’s water damage policy:
The damage to your house arising out of unresolved maintenance issues like continuous leaking near a faucet or other places that are not fixed over some time.
The cost of replacing or repairing the source of plumbing emergency and as such though you can get amounts for repairing the walls, flooring, etc you will not get any amount for repairing or replacing the fixture that caused the water damage like a broken dishwasher or a washing machine
Water damage due to backflow from a sewer line or drain, from outside of the house is not covered under the traditional homeowner's policy. But you can get this also covered by opting for sewer or water backup coverage.
The flood caused by storms, over-saturated ground, overflowing bodies of water like lakes, ponds, rivers, and ocean, etc. Though this is not available under the standard home owner’s policy you can get this coverage by taking a separate flood insurance policy.
So, whenever you need the services of an emergency plumber, you shut off the main valve to your home, to stop the flooding in your home, your life comes to a standstill. There is no water in the toilets, bathrooms, or faucets.
You cannot wait endlessly for a plumber to arrive, or in the worst case that is not the right time to search for an urgent plumber as the water damage to your belongings has already begun.
Use an App like U-Plumber to find the best plumber in your locality who is waiting to be called all the 24X7. Handle the plumbing emergency with swift action and minimize the water damage to your home and get back your life without losing time with the help of a professionally trained, experienced, and knowledgeable emergency plumbing service provider.
Pay attention while taking your homeowner’s insurance policy and see that your policy offers the best coverage for all types of water damage. Thus with the help of Urgent Plumber, you can easily handle any emergency plumbing requirement and set right the problems caused by water damage in your home in a hassle-free and affordable manner.
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