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plumbing valves and pipes

PLUMBING TIPS MADE SIMPLE

Basic Plumbing should be in every homeowner’s repertoire of abilities. Despite your efforts of providing essential maintenance to your home appliances to maintain their quality, plumbing emergencies can still occur. When that happens, it’s important to know what steps need to be taken to avoid excessive damage to your home while you wait for a professional to address the problem. To ensure you are prepared for the unexpected, Gundlach’s Plumbing and Sheet Metal in Bakersfield, CA, has put together this list of things you should know how to do in case of a plumbing emergency. Read through each item and contact us with any questions!

distressed woman on the phone as her sink links

LEARN HOW TO SHUT OFF THE WATER

There are many things about plumbing that are best left to the professionals for reasons of both safety, like leaks in gas piping, and comfort, like really dirty jobs. As a homeowner, however, there are still a number of actions you can take to help maintain your plumbing and keep it operating efficiently. Along with knowing how to use a plunger and how to snake a drain, locating and using your water shut-off valve should also be a part of your basic knowledge.


The water shut-off valve shuts off the entire water supply to the house, and you can usually find it on the street. However, if you notice a leak is centralized to a single fixture (toilets, sinks, etc.), then you’ll want to use that fixture’s stop valve, which can typically be found either underneath or behind said fixture. Knowing where these valves are located and how to switch them to the “off” position can help you stay calm in a plumbing emergency situation, and keep water damage to a minimum while you wait for a professional plumber to arrive.

water leaking from a fixture onto a wooden floor

TAKE NOTE OF PROBLEMS AS THEY OCCUR

You know how it is… a drip could be dripping for quite some time before you notice what’s happening. In the meantime, gallons of extra water has gone down the drain. That’s why it’s a good idea to periodically give your plumbing systems a routine inspection.

  • Test the faucets in your household. Check for drips, then turn them on and off to see if any water comes out of the handles and valves while the water is running.
  • Test the toilets. First, try a light push to see if they are secure or if they move around. Flush the toilet to make sure that it flushes and refills properly. Take note if the water continues to run after the toilet should have refilled, and check to see if there is water on the floor around the toilet.
  • Inspect your washing machine hoses. Look for cracks, leaks, and signs of wear and tear. A burst washing machine hose can flood a house very quickly.
  • Check the drainage speed in tubs, showers, and sinks. Slow drainage could be a sign that a clog is forming.
  • Check the caulking around tubs, showers, sinks, and faucets to see if it’s cracked or if gaps are starting to appear.

a sink faucet dripping water

LOOK AND LISTEN FOR LEAKS

The easiest solution to any pending plumbing emergency is to spot the problem before it gets out of control. Your eyes and ears are the best tools to use for this type of job. Sometimes you’ll see a leak — like with a dripping faucet, while other times you can hear it — like with a dripping faucet! Let your eyes and ears be the judge as you determine where you may be wasting water.

  • Listen – Do you hear a toilet that keeps running long after you’ve left the bathroom or an endless dripping from the faucet that keeps you up at night? Do you hear the sound of water running when everything is in the off position?
  • Look – Check for moisture around fixtures — such as inside cabinets or on the floor. Signs of a leak could also include stains on a ceiling or wall. That doesn’t mean that the leak is in that location, however. The water could be running from another location down a beam into the spot where the stain is created.
  • Inside Out – After your indoor inspection, if you have an outdoor sprinkler system, that should be checked as well before you start using it again. You can lose large amounts of water (sending your water bill sky high) with a sprinkler system leak. Check your control valves for leaks and listen for the sound of running or hissing water. A few hours after your sprinkler system has been used, check the sprinkler heads to see if water is still leaking out.

LET US HELP

While plumbing emergencies can take a homeowner by surprise, many times the “pre-disaster” signs would have already been visible to a trained plumber. A plumbing inspection allows us to fix problems when they are small before they become a big, expensive mess. As a homeowner, it’s important to remember that plumbing emergencies do happen and it’s important to know what to do to prevent as much damage as possible. If you experience any plumbing problems, or if you’d like a complete review of the “health” of your plumbing system, the folks here at Gundlach’s are here to help. We can give your plumbing system a thorough inspection, noting any trouble spots as well as any problems that may be looming. Contact us today!