Environ Blog

Faulty hot water systems, blocked drains, gas leaks, endlessly running taps, burst pipes and other plumbing problems can often come as a very nasty surprise.

You might be prepared for all sorts of emergencies in life but most people spend very little time thinking about what to do in a plumbing emergency.

These problems range from annoying, frustrating to damaging and often the end result is determined by what you do when you first discover the problem.

So here’s a plan for what to do in any kind of plumbing emergency to keep things under control as much as possible;

Call the plumber/gasfitter
To minimise the amount of damage that could be done, call a plumber as soon as you notice the problem.

They can then talk through what you should do while you wait and how to stay safe. Emergency plumbing issues can escalate quickly so make sure you don’t try to fix a problem that could see you risking serious injury to yourself or family members.

Stop water from spreading even further
If the problem is bad you will want to protect your property & possessions from any lasting damage. If you can, divert water away from anything that can’t survive it.

You may want to lay down towels to soak up some of the water or placing a bucket under a leak while you’re shutting off the water meter.

Protect your possessions
If it’s safe to do so, get any of your possessions away from water. & any items that won’t survive water damage should be moved to a dry place while you wait for the plumber.

If you haven’t been able to stop the damage spreading and there are electronics that are not near water now but might be soon, if it’s safe to do so, unplug them and move them somewhere that will stay dry.

You can also use sink plugs that can catch food scraps instead of allowing them to go down the sink drain.

Wait For Your Plumber/Gasfitter
Once you’ve done what you can, wait for the plumber to arrive. As hard as it can be to sit back and watch as your home gets damaged, if you try to do anything more than you’re not trained/equipped to do it will either increase the problem or may result in an injury.

It can be tempting to try to fix a situation yourself but it’s probably the worst possible time to try DIY. You will be unprepared if you rush in to solve the problem and a lot can go wrong. Plumbers/Gasfitters have specialised tools & training for the exact situation. Don’t Risk It, Use a Licences Plumber!