Last month we wrote about, “What You Can Do to Prevent Frozen Pipes.” If you did not get a chance to read that article, click here to do so. In addition to cold-weather issues, plumbing failures can occur from a variety of issues, including manufacturing defects, plumbing components that reach the end of their useful life and develop leaks, or something as simple as a nail or screw that penetrates a pipe hidden behind the surface of the wall. Regardless of the cause, it’s important to know how to limit the damage that can occur from flooding caused by a leaking pipe or failed fitting. The following are five tips to keep in mind in the event a leak does occur: 

1. Turn off the water at the shut-off valve.  The valve is typically located near the hot water tank or the furnace room. Commonly the shut-off valve has a red handle. In the event of flooding, if you are not sure which valve turns off the water, it is best to turn off every valve.
2. Call your Association Manager. If you have a Community Association Manager, place a call to their 24-hour emergency line. Most community management companies have an emergency response protocol and can quickly contact the appropriate business partners who will respond and address the initial damage or concerns created by a leaking pipe and/or the resulting flooding.
3. Call your Concierge or Building Maintenance Manager. If you live in a high-rise condo you will likely have a concierge or building manager assigned to your building. Know their phone number and keep it where you can easily find it and contact them immediately in the event of an emergency. They are often well equipped to respond to the situation and limit the damage that can be caused from unmitigated flooding in your unit.  This is especially important in high-rise buildings where water leakage can travel to multiple floors and cause tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.
4. Call the local fire department. If you can’t find the shut-off valve or reach any of the other resources we’ve mentioned you may have to call your local fire department. These professionals can often locate the water shut-off valve in a home, condominium, or apartment.
5. Call Charter Construction or an emergency plumber. We respond to pipe leaks 24-7 along with our plumbing and other business partners. Once the leak is mitigated, we can work with you and your insurer to get the right scope of work put together and provide the construction services to get you back to normal as soon as possible.

Charter is highly experienced in working as a team with you, your insurance company and their assigned insurance adjuster. We write estimates using industry-standard estimating systems that comply with the insurance company’s policies. A good contractor works for the homeowner and with the insurance company to ensure that the homeowner’s needs are met. If the unthinkable happens and that pipe bursts, our Disaster Solutions Team is available 24-7 to stop the leak and repair the damage. Call 206-382-1900 in Seattle or 503-546-2600 in Portland.