Dealing with a sudden pipe leak? Almost all homeowners have been there at some point. Fortunately, our skilled plumbers at Meyer’s are available 24 hours a day, so you never have to wait long for exceptional service. However, for occasions where it may take a plumber awhile to reach your property, it is good to know how to quickly patch a plumbing leak. Keep reading for the information you need, and never hesitate to call Meyer’s day or night for an emergency appointment.
5 Steps to Quickly Stop a Leak While You Wait for a Plumber
- Turn Off Your Water Supply: When water suddenly comes pouring out of a pipe, you should always know how to turn it off ASAP. Look for the water valve that corresponds with your leaky pipe, and if you can’t find it, go to your home’s main shut-off valve. Once you have shut off the flow of water in your home, turn on a faucet to empty out any remaining water in your system and check that you are ready to proceed with patching the leak.
- Clean Up Leaked Water: Leaving pooling water on the floor is a great way to cause an accident, plus the longer you let water sit without cleaning it up, the greater the chance there is that your home will experience permanent damage. Moreover, you can’t expect to successfully patch a leak without wiping it down first. That’s why after you have shut off the flow of water to your leaky pipe, you should always take the time to clean the surrounding area, thus making the rest of this process safer and easier.
- Pinpoint the Leak: To successfully patch a pipe leak, you will need to know the exact location that the leak occurred. One easy way to do this is to pour a bit of water over your leaky pipe (cleaning it up afterwards, obviously,) and observe where it passes through. While this may not be necessary for major leaks, it can be a huge help when trying to pinpoint smaller cracks and fissures in your pipes.
- Tighten Loose Joints: One of the most common reasons for pipe leaks is loose joints. By finding and tightening any loose joints on a leaky pipe, you may be able to negate the need to patch a leak altogether. At the very least, this will help stop any more water from coming out of the damaged pipe in the future:
- Patch the Leak: Once you have completed the above steps, you will be ready to patch your leaky pipe. We recommend using an epoxy putty for this, rather than standard caulk. Epoxy will create a tight enough seal while you wait for a plumber, but will also come off easy enough when your plumber needs to get to work. If you do not have any epoxy lying around, some simple duct tape, wrapped tightly around your pipe, should make a good temporary patch while you wait for your plumber to arrive.
Need to get a leaky pipe taken care of today? Call Meyer’s now at (219) 240-0610, or click here to contact us online.