subject: 3 Things To Do If Something Springs A Leak [print this page] There is never a good time to get a leak in your plumbing, no matter where it might occur. But whenever it happens you have to deal with it there and then, otherwise the water could cause further damage and problems. Even if you call out the local Fairfax plumbers within seconds of spotting the leak, there are several things you should do while you are waiting for them to arrive.
Follow these three practical steps to ensure your leak doesn't get any worse than it already is.
Turn off the water supply at the main stopcock
What's that? You don't know where your main water supply stopcock is? Now would be a great time to find out, just in case anything ever leaks and leaves you with a problem. Trying to find it in a hurry is always far more stressful than wandering around looking for it just out of curiosity and preparedness.
Think of it like this. If you know where it is it might take only a minute or so to get to it and turn it off before the Fairfax plumbers come out. If you don't know where it is youll be panicking and wondering whether to go and find it or call out the plumbers first. That's not a dilemma you want to face, and you can avoid it by looking for it now while it is fresh in your mind.
Mop up as much of the water as you can
Its always a good idea to have some old cloths or towels handy for just this kind of emergency. Grab a bucket or bowl too if you still have some water coming out after you've turned the supply off. Fairfax plumbers will soon find the cause of the leak but you can do what you can to minimise the damage the water has caused thus far.
Don't fiddle with anything unless you know what you are doing
Even though a certain amount of plumbing is down to logic (water cannot travel uphill on its own, for example) there is far more to it than that. This means you shouldn't start fiddling with things while you are waiting for your Fairfax plumbers. It can be tempting to try and figure out a solution on your own, but unless you happen to be an expert it isn't wise. Besides, if you were an expert you'd be a qualified plumber and you wouldn't need to call them anyway, would you?
So there you have it the three essential things you should do to make sure you minimise the damage caused by the leak. None of them should take too long to do (especially in the case of point number three, where you have to make sure you DON'T do anything at all). Of course, number four should be to call the plumber.
