Domestic Disasters: Managing a Water Leak!

How a quick loan from Loans 2 Go can get you out of hot water!

In this latest article on some of the issues that face us as homeowners we take a look at water leaks. Obviously something that you hope will never happen – but what do you do if it does? Let’s take a look at what you should do – and also how to help prevent water leaks in the first place.

What to do if there is a leak?

1 Turn off the water supply

Whether it’s water on the kitchen floor or coming through the living room ceiling, the first thing to do is to turn off the water if you possibly can. This will stop the flow and minimise any damage. This means that in advance it is essential that everyone in the household knows where the stopcock is that will turn off the main water supply to the house. Many of us do not know where this is! Why not locate it now while you think about it? It will save you valuable minutes – and prevent damage – in an emergency situation.

Individual items such as toilets, sinks and baths may also have individual cut-off valves that would enable you to isolate any leaks that you may find. Again, make sure you know in advance where these are. If you cannot find them, ask your plumber next time they are with you.

2 Call for professional help

If you have home insurance, check with your insurance company first to see if the damage is covered by them. They may have recommended plumbers that you need to use or they may even have their own callout service. If you do not have home insurance or the damage is not covered by it, then call a plumber that you either know and trust or has been recommended by others.

If you are not covered by insurance and need to find money for the repair then don’t despair! With a quick loan from Loans 2 Go, you can have the money in your bank account – or cash in hand – within an hour. You can apply for a quick loan with us online, call us on 0330 400 0403, WhatsApp us on 07976 200 597 or email us on [email protected].

How to prevent water leaks?

Whilst the above advice should help see you through an emergency leak, better still to prevent one in the first place! Here are our Top Five Tips for preventing water leaks:

Insulate external pipes to prevent them freezing. One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is by lagging them with pipe insulation. As well as protecting the pipes, lagging will also save you energy by preventing heat transfer.
Keep your water pressure at a reasonable level. If it is too high it can put your pipes and various components of your plumbing system – for example valves and joints – under increased stress and reduce the life expectancy of your plumbing system.
Check everything regularly. Get your boiler serviced regularly as this will reveal any underlying problems with your central heating system before they become serious. Also check pipes, water heaters and under the sink regularly for damage or dripping. Radiators need to be bled regularly to keep in tip top condition.
Fix dripping taps and shower heads. Much better to replace washers when needed rather than letting problems build up and potentially become major leaks.
Replace taps if they become corroded. Most taps will eventually leak, and no matter how much you like it there will come a point at which a tap becomes so old and corroded that it simply needs to be replaced.

If you look after your plumbing system well then hopefully it will serve you well in return and you won’t have any nasty surprises in terms of water leaks! But if you need some additional funds to get your plumbing up to scratch, then remember that Loans 2 Go is here to help. A quick loan from us today could prevent a domestic disaster tomorrow!

Previous ‘Domestic Disasters’ hints and tips: