Discovering leaking water lines in your home is not just frustrating and annoying. If you don’t get a quick fix, it can lead to property damage. Even ignoring a small leak can escalate and result in a sky-high repair bill. Most of all, you don’t want to worry about collateral damage like wreaked carpets, drenched floors, mold, and the like. If you have an emergency water leak in your home, follow these hacks until you can find a reputable plumber to fix it.
Turn Off the Valve
In some cases, you don’t need to turn off the water in your whole house. If it is a simple leak in your toilet or an isolated leaky faucet, you can directly turn off the emergency valve located behind the toilet or under the sink. However, if it doesn’t work, you have no choice but to shut down the main water valve outside the house.
Prevent Further Damage
Even if you catch that small water leak before it floods your home, water could still have soaked into your floorboards, carpets, and walls. To prevent further damage, dry the wet area as much as you can with old towels and shirts. If the soaking is extensive, a wet-dry vacuum and electric fans will speed up the drying process. This prevents mold and mildew growth, which can cause health issues down the line.
Try the Following Temporary Fixes
Now that you’ve cut off the leak source and stabilized your home, you need to temporarily fix the leak.This allows you to use the water in your home until a plumber comes. Here are some clever hacks that could help:
1) Rely on good old epoxy
Every local hardware story has epoxy glue that’s suited for leaks. If you know where the leak is coming from, apply epoxy in the area and wait for it to set. For best results, follow the directions on the container.
2) Use rubber and a clamp
If you have rubber and clamp in your home, you can plug the hole until your plumber provides a temporary fix. Cut the rubber into a size that you can wrap around the pipe to arrest the leak. After doing this, apply the clamp to hold the rubber in place. Depending on the damaged area, you may need more than one clamp to keep things tight and prevent water seepage.
3) Try the pencil trick
Another conventional trick to plug the leak relies on pencil and plumber’s tape. Should the water seep from a small hole, you can stick the pencil’s tip until it feels tight and secure. Then, break off the tip and wrap the entire pipe with the tape. This keeps the tip snug in place.
All these tricks provide a temporary fix. If you don’t want the emergency water leak to escalate, call a professional plumber to offer permanent solutions. They will ensure to fix the leak and prevent further water damage in your home.
Check out this article for some additional ideas!
Common Water Leaks In The Home And How To Fix Them
How to fix a leaking plastic water pipe joint
If you spot a leak from a plastic/PVC water pipe joint, then the good news is that you may be able to fix the issue yourself. Remember, water can travel a long way before it drips as a leak, so you need to make sure you know exactly which joint the leak is coming from. Start by drying the area thoroughly and working out exactly where the water is coming from and whether it is the pipe or water pipe joint that is leaking.
Once you know the source of the leak, turn off the water for the affected area, or turn off the water at the mains supply if that is easiest.Then get to work in fixing a leak. If you feel competent, remove and replace the affected section of the pipe. However, this may require cutting tools and equipment you may not have. Alternatively, you can make an easy temporary fix using rubber or silicone repair tape which is quick and easy to use. Repair epoxy can be even easier to use around plastic water pipe joint leaks, and it can mold to fit the shape of the joint.
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