How To Keep A Calm Head When A Plumbing Disaster Occurs  

No matter the size, shape, or age of our properties, they are a source of pride and joy within our often-hectic lives. The last thing that any of us want is to find that there has been some sort of problem developing right under our noses, which has finally come to a head.  

When faced with any issue in the home, it can cause increased levels of stress and anxiety. This is only natural, and we are confident many reading this have been in the exact or similar situation.

Many questions form in your mind as panic sets in; how do you solve this problem? How do you locate precisely where the issue has started from? Who do you contact in times of emergency? 

While we recognize that this can be an extremely distressing time for many, it is also crucial to remind yourself to keep a level head when faced with these particular situations. That being the case, if you have found a plumbing problem in the home and are experiencing stress as a result, you have found yourself in the right place.  

Understandably, when faced with a plumbing disaster in your property, it can be challenging to know how best to act to tackle the problem at hand. None more so than if this is your first time dealing with something of this magnitude.  

If this is the case, then make sure you keep reading! We have compiled the ultimate guide below, detailing effective ways to keeping a calm head when a plumbing disaster occurs in your home.

Whether you are dealing with a large leak or one on a slightly smaller scale, we are confident that you will find something useful here to relate to your situation.  

Determining What the Issue Is

This can undoubtedly appear easier said than done, especially if the plumbing issue has developed deep in the plumbing bowels in your home. When faced with a plumbing problem that has occurred in your home, determining exactly what the issue is and where it is primarily located is paramount.  

No matter your property's size, this is no easy feat and could lead you to a broad number of nooks and crannies in your home. Running through any pipes and other plumbing in your home with a fine-tooth comb will enable you to determine precisely where the issue has stemmed from and what it may be.  

Of which, there are numerous common plumbing issues that can affect homes of all shapes and sizes, including the following: 

• Dripping or Faulty Faucets: The sound of a dripping tap may well be a soothing noise to some reading this but can be indicative of something more severe with your plumbing. Not to mention, dripping faucets can rack up a larger than usual water bill, so this must be addressed sooner rather than later. Your bank account will undoubtedly be thanking you for it! There could be numerous things that are causing a faucet in your home to leak and can range from such things as a sealant becoming loose or connections within the pipes leading to the tap becoming filled with deposits of some sort. Attending to this every few years and replacing faulty parts will ensure that this does not happen more than you would like. 

• Leaking Pipes: The most common plumbing issue that we think of when considering the term and which can affect several houses each year. Leaking pipes in the home is not something that we want to experience, no matter our situation beyond this. Not to mention, leaking pipes can cause a whole host of issues within the foundations of your home if left unaddressed. Consequently, costing you much more in the long-term. Numerous mitigating factors could contribute to leaking pipes in your home, including corrosion of the line itself, cracks in the tube, or clogging from debris of some sort. Determining where precisely a pipe is leaking from can be somewhat more challenging than identifying a leaking faucet, which leads us to our next point.

• Blocked Pipes or Drains: We can confidently say that many people reading this have seen a clogged pipe, drain, or toilet during their lifetime. Not to mention, have seen just how easy it is for lines and draining systems such as these to get blocked. It does not take much. Numerous things can clog drains, including food, oily substances, and cosmetic products. It is advised by plumbing experts and many people beyond the sector that homeowners and residents do not flush cosmetic and baby wipes down the toilet, for they are some of the biggest culprits when it comes to clogging of drains. Appropriately disposing of items like these minimizes the chances of your gutters becoming clogged moving forward. While it is not an enjoyable experience for you, having smelly, blocked drains, it is also not going to be all that fun for the plumber dealing with the issue. Spare a thought for them and your bank account the next time you get the urge to dispose of a baby wipe down the toilet. 

While these are but some of the plumbing issues that can be experienced in a home, of which can be recognized by you or me, there may be some plumbing problems that are slightly harder to determine. If you are met with a problem or unpleasant scent that you cannot trace, consider contacting a professional at these moments.  

You can rest easy that the issue will be resolved as quickly as possible. We will discuss more about contacting professionals a bit later in this piece. Still, it is worth noting that contacting them as soon as possible will ensure you can keep a calm head while going through this stress-inducing process.  

Next Steps 

Once you have identified the leading cause of the plumbing issue you are currently facing, you will need to consider your next steps. While we can recognize that there will be some plumbing issues you can handle yourself - including a blocked toilet and related problems – there undoubtedly comes the point when you will need to accept defeat and that you require the services of a plumber to assist in handling the situation. 

This does not mean that you cannot handle the situation yourself; we are confident that you can suitably manage your home and any issues that may arise.  

While this is the case, you want to ensure that you are using a professional's services when required, rather than attempting to solve a problem yourself, for you could well cause more damage to the plumbing through your efforts.  

Not to mention, any extra damage that is incurred could damage other aspects of your home and lead to further costs being racked up. Following what has been a somewhat challenging year for many financially, you undoubtedly don’t want to pay out more than you need to when fixing any plumbing issues you are facing.  

Minimizing Damage to Your Home 

Upon first spotting a plumbing issue with your home, particularly a water leak resulting from something or other, you want to do your utmost to prevent any further damage from happening to your home.  

Much like other aspects of dealing with a plumbing issue in your home, it can be somewhat challenging to keep a calm head in these moments. More so, if the problem you are experiencing is rather severe.  

When specifically dealing with a water leak, you want to make sure that one of the first things you do following first spotting the leak is turning off the water supply to your home. You should be able to do this through the means of a water valve somewhere in your property.  

While we can recognize that there will be some people reading this who don’t particularly want to get wet when attempting to fix an issue like this, you can rest easy knowing that this won’t be the case here. You should be able to make a difference in how much water is leaking into your home and preventing it from damaging anything further while remaining dry yourself.  

Contacting Appropriate Professionals 

As mentioned previously, we can recognize the temptation of wanting to attempt to solve any plumbing issues yourself, but this is not always advised. Particularly if you are experiencing a plumbing problem deep within your home's pipes, you will undoubtedly require the services of someone who deals with this type of thing daily. 

When wanting to keep a calm head and alleviate any worrisome emotions bound to bubble to the surface in situations like these, you will want to contact an emergency plumbing expert as soon as possible. 

To ensure that you can access services from the likes of Restore My Pipes as quickly as possible, you will want to ensure that you have the phone numbers of businesses like these to hand when you need them. None more so than when faced with a plumbing emergency; you don’t want to be frantically searching your home for the phone number book when you have water pooling into your home. 

Handling issues from clogged pipes causing unpleasant odors to completely replacing a faulty pipe that is within your property with minimal disruption, slab repair experts such as these are sure to ensure that you remain calm when in situations like these.  

Not to mention, you should be able to have your water supply turned back on the same day when using the services of a professional, so you needn’t worry about going too long without access to water.  

Having the number of a plumbing expert on speed dial will ensure that you can access the services that you need at speed. Plumbing issues seem to happen when we least expect them and when we are least prepared. Contacting an expert as soon as you see a problem will ensure that the issue does not spread further in your home.  

Preventative Measures 

Following a visit from your friendly neighborhood plumbing expert, you will want to ensure that you are doing your utmost to prevent something like this from occurring again in the future. While it is nice to have them visit your home for the social interaction, we are confident that you won’t want to be experiencing any severe plumbing problems in the future. Partly due to the incurred costs and the levels of stress that it can also induce.  

While there is not much you can do to prevent a leaking faucet due to a loose component – these loosen over time through continual usage – there are steps that you can take as a homeowner or resident of a household to prevent any clogged drains or leaking pipes from happening in the future.  

As mentioned previously, ensuring that any cosmetics and baby wipes are disposed of responsibly will prevent your pipes from becoming clogged. Baby and cosmetic wipes are more challenging to break down than other fabrics and can even become a solid mesh within the pipes. The mass cannot move, and nothing can get past it.  

Having a designated trashcan in your bathroom for items such as these and reminding other household members to refrain from disposing down the toilet will significantly minimize your chances of this happening again. 

Concerning leaking pipes, these can be caused by numerous factors too. Cold, frosty weather is one of the biggest culprits and is something that many have experienced as of late in the south. Ensuring that you leave your heating on to heat the water pipes in your home will prevent any frost from forming and damaging your home's pipes.  

Having heated and insulated water pipes also dramatically reduces your risk of corrosion from happening, another culprit for leaking water pipes in the home. 

Taking measures such as these is sure to reduce the anxiety and stress that come from experiencing a plumbing issue. Ensuring that you do even one mentioned will significantly reduce your chances of a plumbing problem in the future.  

We hope that this guide has been helpful and that you are feeling more able to face issues like these moving forward. While it is easy to be stressed, it is crucial to keep a level head to ensure that the problem is solved as quickly as possible.