Its one thing to ignore the drip, drip, drip of a leaky tap – but sometimes, you may find yourself dealing with a burst pipe, a clogged / overflowing toilet or a dysfunctional combi boiler / heating system. Then what? Before we dive deep into temporary fixes and before you call our emergency plumber in the upcoming blogs here we have identified a local plumbers Axis’ guide: 5 top tips you really should know about in case of a water emergency:
It stops the mains water supply to your household pipework. It will usually be located under your kitchen sink, in your loft near the water tank, if this fails follow tip 2 you will need to…
The outdoor stopcock is a valve for turning the mains water supply in your home on or off, it may also switch off neighbours please be aware! Before attempting to carry out any temporary fixes, find the stopcock. (Its usually located on the pavement outside your house or in a service cupboard in most modern flat developments.) Turn it clock-wise to stop the flow of water
Even after turning off the water supply successfully, sometimes there is still water in the pipes. If you still have a water tank this may also contain a large amount of water and require isolation (Usually two red head (gate valves) found around the bottom of the cold water tank as pictured). To get rid of it, simply open all the taps and allow to drain and prevent further damage to your property and personal belongings.
If your plumbing emergency is related to your boiler or radiators, we would recommend that you do not attempt any boiler repairs on your own. Simply switch the power off to the unit and call our emergency line on 0131 202 9125 to arrange a heating engineer. If you happen to know where the heating system drain off valve is this can be opened to relieve pressure and avoid water damage in case of a system leak.
The best way to avoid potential plumbing emergencies is to be prepared and take what precautionary action you can – before anything happens. You should familiarise yourself with the plumbing system in your home, taking note and labelling where and what each shut off valve is and does so you can reach them fast in an emergency. If you require help to do this contact us today. It is advisable to check the valves are in good working order by checking them regularly.
