Water is our friend: without it, we simply couldn’t survive. But in addition to drinking it, the human race has developed ways of using it, particularly for washing – both ourselves and our belongings, our clothes, our crockery and cutlery, our cars, our windows and so on.
The network of pipes, tanks and boilers, sinks and drains is collectively known as the plumbing, and it is built into our homes.
So far, so good, but there is another side to this flowing stuff that does so much for the world. Water damage. When water gets out of control, there is trouble.
A sensible first step is to find out where the stopcock is: that’s the simple tap that allows water into the house – or your part of it – and which can stop the flow if a problem occurs. With a quick twist of the stopcock, you can stop what is happening and prevent further trouble, buying a bit of time to call a plumber.
If you are the owner of the property, you should know where the stopcock is, just as you should know where the fuse box is to shut off the electricity if necessary, and if you have a mains gas supply there will be a tap to shut that off too. If you are a tenant, ask the landlord or caretaker where these things are. It’s not rocket science and is all part of living safely.
Nobody enjoys a plumbing emergency, and there are many different types, most of which can be avoided. So, what can you do to prevent plumbing emergencies? Let’s break it down into types of plumbing emergencies.
Common Circumstances: Prevent Plumbing Emergencies Involving Burst Pipes
Pipe maintenance in most cases is a watching brief: you just need to be aware of the condition of your plumbing. Old age is a factor that can cause trouble (old plumbing, not old householders). As ever, much of the success or failure in this respect can be traced back to the installation. If it was done well by people who took pride in their work, and if the customer was prepared to pay for good materials, the scene is set for a lifetime of no problems, but very old plumbing can get clogged by what are actually tiny amounts of impurities in the water, but which grow and grow as the water flows year after year. That’s when your water pressure seems to drop, and most people think it is the fault of the supplier or the fact that there are more houses and more residents than there used to be. That may be true, but old, clogged pipes could still be the culprit.
In such cases, the only real solution is to bite the bullet and get all those ancient pipes removed and replaced by superior modern ones. The effect on day-to-day life can be a revelation, with everything working properly and water purity better than before.
Slow water can also be a symptom of a leak, and since pipes are usually in inconvenient places at best, if not underground and therefore completely unreachable, this can be hard to detect. A little investigative work can help here: is there a damp patch somewhere, either indoors or out in the yard? Does something look odd or smell a bit off? Maybe it’s time to let an experienced plumber like J.O Plumbing have a look.
How to Prevent Plumbing Emergencies Involving Burst Pipes in Freezing Temperatures
Water pipes are generally pretty tough, but they are not indestructible. In places where the temperature can drop to below freezing, pipes can burst through the effects of these extremes, and the careful, wary householder can take precautions by wrapping pipes in fabric, a process known as lagging, and it can be done in a professional way or with a distinctly ragged amateur appearance. As long as it works, that’s the main thing.
Obviously, this is not a typical plumbing problem across Australia as a whole, but in the high country of Victoria it is not unknown, so if you live or own property up there, it can pay to keep an eye on your weather app and take action when it may be needed.
How to Prevent Plumbing Emergencies Involving Drainage
Simple good practice can avoid blockages and overflows of the most unpleasant kind. In the kitchen, try not to let food particles or oil and especially fat go down the plughole. The U-bend under the sink may catch this sort of thing before it does any real damage, but you may still have an easily preventable problem. And if the U-bend doesn’t do the job, there could be bigger trouble further down the line.
As for the toilet, think of the warning signs you have seen in hotels and public places, and don’t throw sanitary products, nappies and other non-biodegradable items in there. Blocked drains of any kind are not nice, but obviously, toilet-related blockages and any kind of refluxes are horribly offensive – and they can be avoided.
In case of a Plumbing Emergency Call J.O. Plumbing
If you do happen to have a plumbing emergency don’t hesitate to contact J.O. Plumbing. Our emergency plumbers in Berwick, Glen Iris and all over Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs are available 24/7 and offer same-day service. So you can rest assured that any plumbing issues are dealt with promptly.
Simply give us a call at (03) 88997561 or request a quote online.
