Emergency Plumbing

If you need an emergency plumber, please stop reading this and call us IMMEDIATELY on 0412 267 000.

Wasted minutes could cost you thousands of dollars in water damage. You can also contact us via the contact form but a phone call will be faster.

What To Do while Waiting for your Emergency Plumber to Arrive

Leaking taps, leaking toilets, blocked drains, and burst pipes are among the most common plumbing mishaps that require an emergency plumber. If you are ever woken to the sound of water spraying around inside your home, or shocked to come home to the stench of sewerage soaked floors, you need to know how to act.

Obviously the first thing you should do is to call an emergency plumber. The longer you leave things the more money the repairs will likely cost, so time is of the essence. Once your local plumber is on their way out to help there are some steps you should take to minimise the damage and make their job easier once they arrive.

Step 1. Shut of the Water Supply

Assuming you know where the water mains to your home are, go there and shut of the supply valve. Turn the valve until the flow of water has stopped completely.

If you do not know where the water supply valve in your home is call your landlord to find out. If you don’t have a landlord call somebody else wonder where valve is or start looking for it immediately.

In most Australian suburban homes the valve will be outside the house near the road in the same place as the water metre. If you live in an apartment complex you may have a valve inside your flat possibly in the kitchen or bathroom inside some of the cupboards. It is not uncommon however for these valves to be outside the apartment in a hallway cupboard, stairwell, or other easily accessible common area.

Once you have a shut of the mains water supply to your home or apartment you can attempt to clean ups of the mass and prepare for the arrival of the plumber. Do not attempt to remove any fittings, taps, pipes, or the toilet before they arrive as this may cause further issues unless you have experience with plumbing and really know what you’re doing.

If you are dealing with a blocked drain that is overflowing is highly recommended that you do not push anything down the drain in an attempt to clear it. This action can force the blockage further down the pipe making it harder to remove later on.

Brisbane water meter box
A typical suburban Brisbane water meter will look similar to this, but will be burried beneath the ground so you will only be able to see the lid

Step 2. Clear Around the Problem Area

If at all possible try and mop up the area around where any water may have spilled. Don’t be too pedantic however as there may be some more leakage as the plumber is working on the plumbing however if there is a big mess definitely makes sense to start cleaning sooner rather than later.

It is also a good idea to move any personal items, furniture, or anything else that may get damaged by water or could be in the way of the plumber when he arrives. Giving the plumber space to fix the issue will allow him to work more efficiently and have your household running as normal sooner.

Ensure your children and pets are kept away from the problem area until it is all been fixed. It is also a good idea to have some towels handy around the area that will be worked on, as the floor may get wet depending on the problem.

Step 3. Leave the Plumber to Focus on the Job

Once the plumber has arrived, leave him alone to work on the problem. He will ask you if he needs to know anything relating to the issue but if you have any questions it’s best to wait until after the work has been done.

This will allow the plumber to focus on the job and get your water flowing as per normal as soon as possible. After the job is complete the plumber should inform you in detail about the issue, why it happened, and what could be done to prevent it from happening again.

If your plumber does not provide the above information should ask him for it. Knowledge of the issue, why has occurred, and how to prevent it from happening again could save you a lot of money in future.

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