Emergency Water Pipe Leak Solutions

Many people are familiar with the "shower time" where you think it is a great idea to use the water to clean the body and the home. But not all emergency situations call for the same type of treatment. Some of them require regular cleaning of the home using water and some situations call for the leaky pipe replacement.

It's not very common to see a water-handling system leak in your home. Often, leaks occur when there is an excessive amount of pressure in the house and some type of pipe breaking. These days, when most homes have separate water systems for indoor and outdoor use, there isn't the kind of pressure buildup that could make the pipe leak. The likelihood of a simple pipe break causing a leak is much lower than in the past.

Sometimes, leaky pipes can be caused by a small mistake or a decision to overdo the washing. For example, someone might be using a wet bar tub and the water washes over the surface and starts to bead up. In this situation, it would be a fairly easy fix for the homeowner to simply re-soak the area and the problem will most likely be solved.

But, there are also situations where a small tap water leak has bigger implications. If the hot water has not been turned off and the water supply is off, there is the possibility of a large power outage which could lead to water lines bursting.

There are several ways to stop the emergency situation before it gets out of control. Here are a few ideas.

First, what do you do when you have an emergency spill? These leaks can be costly and dangerous if they are not dealt with immediately.

You would most likely want to use your hand or a broom to suck up any water that has just leaked from the hot water heater. This is not a very popular solution, but is sometimes the only way to completely flush the source. You could also boil the water and let it sit on the countertop until it has cooled, then run a hose through the hose and into the basement.

When the water is unclogged, you would then need to shut off the hot water heater. In case the source is still running, remove the hose from the basement drain. Place a de-icer or liner in the source before running the water back.

If the water system is not connected to the main house electric, there are a few things you could do to help get the system fixed. If the main house is off, use a pump to move water from one tank to another.

If the main house is on, blockage in the lines can be avoided by using a grounding box. Make sure the box is plugged into a receptacle that is not connected to the water system. If this doesn't work, check for a cut off valve that could help drain the overflow.

For a more extensive leak, call your local water company and have them inspect the piping. If the leak is in a public water system, call a plumber to come and take care of the situation. Once the water system is repaired, you should be able to move back into your home once the repair is complete.