We've all been there. A leak pops up seemingly out of nowhere and you can't seem to make it stop. Well don't worry there's usually a way to cut down on the damage and keep from having to switch out buckets all night or deal with a big bill for overnight service. Today for this blog I'll be listing a few ways to handle a few of the common "sudden emergencies" people typically run into in their homes to save them a little time and money even some money.
Leaks!
Faucet leaking? First you want to make sure where it's coming from. Check under the cabinet. Is it coming from the drain or from the water lines? If you aren't entirely familiar with these, Here's what the Drain would look like to the right:
And below is what your typical water lines and angle stop would look like:
If the water lines are the cause of the leak, try to shut off the valves (angle stops) connected to the line that is the source of the leak. This way you can prevent further water damage to your cabinet floor (if you have it) or at the least keep you from having to deal with emptying a bucket every few hours. If it seems like the leak is coming from the joint on the water line and you have some pliers handy, try tightening it slightly and see if that fixes it. Sometimes that is all it needs! Otherwise, you'll need to have it fixed.
Unfortunately if the leak is coming from the drain (P-trap), unless you can tighten the joints slightly and cause the leak to stop you'll have to have it fixed. However you don't need to turn off the water, simply don't use the faucet until its fixed.
Clogs!
Some clogs are just really stubborn and won't drain at all while others are just really, REALLY slow! If a plunger doesn't help with the former you might need to call one of us in but if its just a slow clog you might be able to fix it (at least for now) with a few household items. You may have heard of this one from your older relatives but it really does work sometimes! Baking soda and vinegar! Wait for the water to clear first then toss in about a cup of baking soda into the drain, then pour in a cup of the vinegar and let is sit for a few minutes. Then run some hot water and see if it worked! Sometimes this will clear up a bit of the gunk and improve how quickly your sink will drain. If it doesn't work, try again. If it's still a slow leak you'll be better off calling on one of us to go take care of it.
Remember, Sam's Plumbing is here 24/7 for all your plumbing needs! 307-333-4629.