Flooded kitchen due to broken pipe at midnight. How to act?
Clogging of sewage pipes is a constant and inevitable process. This is due to the gradual accumulation of insoluble components of sewage. The main enemy of sewer pipes is the remains from the dishes that the kitchen sink supplies. Therefore, blockages in the pipe section from draining the sink to draining the bathroom are most often encountered.
The remains of food are gradually rotted into black fat silt with a specific smell. The flow of water during the discharge carries this sludge through the pipe, spreading the layers on top of each other. Gradually, the lumen of the tube narrows, and the water stops leaving normally. In medical terminology, such a clog can be called “chronic.” The rate of formation of a “chronic” clog depends on many factors and can vary from several weeks to dozens of years. Plastic pipes are less prone to clogs compared to cast iron, so now they are almost completely replaced.
Remember – the less solid waste gets into the sewer, the less it will have to be cleaned. Especially dangerous, up to the complete replacement of all pipes, the use of sewerage for the utilization of the remains of cement or gypsum mortar, and various adhesives.
If you wake up in the middle of the night and see your kitchen is flooded due to broken pipe, you should act immediately. First, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve. Then, try to stop the leakage by wrapping duct tape around the pipe. In most cases this will be quite helpful thing to do while waiting for the professional plumbers to come to your home.
Another way to temporarily stop a small leak involves a C-clamp, a block of wood, and a piece of rubber. However, keep in mind that if you use a block of wood it will just narrow the area of the pipe. Additionally, you have to wrap duct tape.
You can use a sleeve cramp for stopping pinhole leaks to larger leaks. A sleeve clamp consists of two semicircular pieces of metal that, when put together, completely surround the pipe.
Once you have taken care for the problem, contact professional water damage restoration firm that can come to your home immediately. Make sure they are certified and have experience in this field. However, don’t waste time comparing prices of different firms or reading forums how to handle the problem on your own. You won’t save your money that way because you have just temporarily solved the problem with the pipe.
Adequate and fast reaction will save your home from appearance of mold and mildew, unpleasant odor, devastation of your furniture, and even structural problems with the building.
How to find Out There is a Problem with Broken Pipes at Home?
One of the most unpleasant moments is finding a leak in the home, and when it happens after a major overhaul, not only the consequences are devastating, but the cost is also rising considerably.
Repairing broken pipes accompanied by leakage can lead to major problems in many subsequent directions. It is known that water is such a natural force that finds its place and makes its way through all sorts of barriers, and this inevitably leads to serious damage when it comes to home. Among the main problems with water and sewage, leakage is that the source of the problem is noticed only when things have gone too far.
For broken pipes, tearing of such and need for repair, testify drops of water on the ceiling, corners, walls and whole stains moisture and mold. These problems are not insignificant and should be addressed at the very outset. Underestimating them, neglecting the repair in the future will cost a lot more because of the spreading of the damage instead of being made at an earlier stage.
It is also good to predict the fact that if a ceiling is wet or covered with mold in places, it does not necessarily mean a leak from the neighbor. The source of the problem can be any and burst pipes to have not where you expect. The most accurate diagnosis is made after a precise finding of the problem of professional intervention on the spot.
In case of a problem with broken pipes and the need for a plumber to repair or replace broken pipes, it is best to consult the experts on the phone after a team of specialists arrives on the spot to give a clear assessment of the issue
Reasons for Broken Pipes and Flooded Kitchen
A broken pipe can cause many problems, like appearance of moisture and mold in the dwelling, and serious damages to the surface and flood of the property. But whatever the case, the broken pipe should not be underestimated and it is necessary to act quickly. This, however, is a slightly more delicate job that not everyone can repair on their own, so you should look immediately for professional plumbing services.
Pipes can break for several different reasons. One of them is the old age of the building and the plumbing installation respectively. Like everything else, the pipes and channels are not eternal and must be repaired and replaced over a period of time. So it is good when we buy an old home to change the plumbing equipment to avoid future damages and accidents. The same is when we carry out repairs – pay special attention to the water supply and sewerage. When the plumbing installation is changed qualitatively by an experienced specialist, the water supply in the dwelling will be easy, comfortable and trouble free.
Pipes can also break due to cold and frost during the winter season, especially if the place where they are located is not isolated from outside influences. If we have not taken care of this before and left the tubes without isolation, they can freeze even overnight and then burst. Then the situation is really unpleasant and it opens up a lot of work related to repairs and inconveniences.
Timely maintenance is very important for plumbing pipes, so it is advisable to check their condition regularly to reduce the risk of major accidents. This is done by specialized teams and there is nothing to worry about, just to call the appropriate plumber to do the inspection and eventually repair the pipes.