So you’ve called a Queens plumber to come out and take a look at your leaking water main, but he won’t arrive for several hours at least. What should you do in the mean time, while you’re waiting for the Queens water main repair professionals to come out and fix the leak? Here are some tips for knowing what to do if you have a water main leak.
If you have a leaking pipe inside your home, apartment, or condo in New York City, there are a few things you can do while you’re waiting for the plumber to arrive. Keep cool and calm, even if there is water spurting out inside your home or in your yard. You can minimize damage caused by a broken water main line by locating the main water supply and turning it off. The main water supply might be located in your basement, on your main floor of your apartment. If your home or condo doesn’t have a basement, it’s probably located on the floor somewhere near an outside wall or on a side wall, behind a metal or plastic door. The water shut off valve for your home is located where the water pipe comes into your house.
Once you’ve located the water shut off, turn it off. Now, you can turn your attention to trying to contain the water damage caused by any leaking. Get towels, fans, blankets, or anything else to try and sop up water that is sitting on carpet or wood floors. Linoleum floors usually don’t undergo much damage from having water sitting on them, unless there are cracks in the linoleum (often invisible) where the water can seep in. When your Queens plumber arrives, you will be one step ahead by following these instructions.