Do You Know Where Your Water Shut-Off Valves Are?

5/12/2022 (Permalink)

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One of the things many of us take for granted is our home, or more specifically, how our home just always "works" and doesn't fail us.

Until that unfortunate day when your home does fail you. There are many ways you might experience a breakdown in your home, but one of the most damaging is when your plumbing, piping, or water delivery system fails. Or perhaps it's not even the plumbing itself that failed, but a water-fed appliance, such as your dishwasher, washing machine, refrigerator, or even your water heater.

It is mind-boggling to see the amount of untold damage and the speed at which damage happens when a pipe or appliance breaks. Think what damage could happen when you are in the home when the failure occurs. Now think how much initial damage and secondary damage will occur if you aren't there? What will happen and how long will it go on if you are gone on for several hours or even out of town over the weekend?

Water will continue to flow through your piping and out at the point of failure until it is stopped, or turned off. Water will continue to pour into your home, damaging the room, the floor, the walls, perhaps the ceiling, and all the contents, furniture, and belongings in that room. And possibly even flowing into and damaging the next room or the floor below.

If ever a pipe bursts or a water-fed appliance fails in your home (or business), the very first step you must take is to turn off the water! This could be a localized shut-off valve, such as below a sink or behind a toilet or refrigerator or other appliance, or you may need to turn off the main water valve to your home.

Unfortunately, very few homeowners (or business owners) take the time to learn where their emergency shut-off valves are, but knowing where the valves are and how to turn them off can greatly minimize the amount of damage done to property and belongings if a pipe bursts or appliance fails. 

Turning your water off before you leave for an extended period of time such as a vacation or the weekend can seem like such a small and unlikely preparation, and yet that act alone can be the difference between avoiding disaster entirely or thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in damage to your home or business.

Take the time to educate yourself where these shut-off valves are. Remember to shut the water off before you leave for prolonged periods of time to give yourself that extra measure of protection.

Whether you are home if it happens or not, should disaster strike and you find a burst water pipe or failed appliance has left you with a soggy mess, FIRST SHUT OFF YOUR WATER VALVE, then call on the professionals of SERVPRO of Glenview to mitigate, cleanup, and restore your home or business.