A plumbing emergency can be scary and intimidating to deal with for anyone. If it occurs within a property owner’s building, this can be even more distressing without the ability to always be on site to mitigate the damage. Whether you use a property management company or not, it can be important to educate tenants on what to do during a plumbing emergency. We thought this would be helpful to touch on on the blog, as Buffalo has so many properties that provide a home for people all over the city and surrounding areas.
What is considered a plumbing emergency?
Anything that could be considered something that requires immediate action from a tenant or homeowner to prevent significant damage to the property. We are looking at situations like:
- Water Heater Failures
- Clogged and/or Overflowing Toilets
- Sewage Backups
- Burst Pipes
- Sewer Line Issue
It’s important to help your tenants understand the best course of action to take if and when one of these plumbing emergencies or something else occurs. By educating the people who are living in the property, you can certainly help stymie the problems that can occur following a plumbing emergency.
Let’s take a look at a few main steps to take if facing a plumbing emergency.
Turn off the Water Supply
It’s important for homeowners, property owners, and tenants to know where the main water supply shut-off valve is. It’s typically near the water meter, which is usually in the basement, garage, or near the foundation of a home. In the event of a busted pipe or sewer backup, you’ll want to immediately stop using any water and turn off the water.
If the issue is isolated to a specific area, like a leak related to a toilet, faucet or dishwasher, you can turn the valve located near / connected to the fixture to shut off water to that specific region.
Assess the Situation
It’s important to remain calm during the storm. Landlords should be contacted immediately if a plumbing emergency occurs, and assess through either phone or in-person conversion the severity of the issue. By communicating with the tenant or coming to view the situation immediately, a landlord can determine the safety level of whether or not a tenant can stay in the affected area or may need to evacuate temporarily until a repair is finished.
Call a Quality Buffalo Plumber
As soon as possible, a professional plumber should be contacted. This allows the quickest path to repair and also allows a professional to ask a few questions to assess the situation. A plumber will be able to tell you what the next best step for a particular situation will be.
In the event that there is standing water or flooding due to a backup, it’s important for anyone to be extremely careful and consider electrical safety. If the water is near outlets, appliances, or other electrical components, the electricity could be affected, and caution should be taken.
Mitigate Damage
If it is safe to do so, use towels, buckets, and mops to try and clean up any potential water to try and prevent water damage. If you are afraid that any of the water is potentially hazardous, such as sewage backup, be sure to wear rubber gloves, a mask, and possibly rubber boots to protect yourself from bacteria and toxins. Ultimately, this is just a temporary solution to try and clean up the mess. If there is a larger issue, you should leave the cleanup to a professional water restoration company, which we can help you with if you are faced with an emergency.
Document Damages
It’s important for landlords and property owners, once things settle down and everyone is safe, to document any damage using photos and videos. For any property owner, this will be crucial to have evidence when filing an insurance claim.
Hire the Professional, Avoid DIY
Some plumbing issues can certainly be fixed with a handyman or a DIY approach, but when facing things like broken pipes, sewer backup, and water damage, it’s important to leave it to the professionals. You should listen to the plumber’s instructions and take their advice when it comes to preventative measures or potential repairs.
When faced with a plumbing emergency, trust that Advanced Sewer is here to help. No matter what your situation is, once you get things calmed down and the water is turned off and everyone is safe, be sure to give us a call as soon as possible or reach out via our contact form to schedule an appointment immediately. We are here to help with any sewer issues, plumbing problems, and anything related to your plumbing! Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram for more helpful (and more fun!) content!
