Dealing With Water Damage

With the color of the leaves changing it is once again time to prepare your home for colder weather. Water damage isn’t picky and doesn’t care how new your Aurora home may be. Until our own property is damaged, or a major weather event pops up on the television, it is difficult to imagine just how destructive water damage can be. Even a small amount of water dripping through the ceiling of your Aurora home can cause massive amounts of property damage before you even notice the discoloration on the ceiling.

As a homeowner, you will want to get familiar with your plumbing system so you know where to go when the water needs to be shut off in a hurry. If you don’t already know where it is, take a moment to find the main water shut off valve to your home. Water leaks from overflowing toilets, broken pipes, damaged appliances that utilized water, can pump in hundreds of gallons of water in a short matter of minutes. The faster you can get to the main shut off valve the less water you will have to have a water damage cleanup professional remove from your home.

To prevent costly water damage to your home turn off the main water supply as soon as you notice a leak, spill or flood occurs. When you find yourself in a water damage situation give Yellow Van a quick call! We can answer all of your water damage cleanup questions and can arrive at your home in a matter of minutes if you need us.

Where Is The Main Water Shut Off Valve Typically Located?
Having an issue finding your main water valve? If your home has a basement or crawlspace, you will most likely find the main water shut off valve behind an access door in either location…but there isn’t a standard location specified in any home.

When Should You Turn Off The Water?
Usually, the first valve you would turn off is the one at the source of the water. Most water supply lines have valves located directly behind or above the fixture and can be turned clockwise to shut off the water supply. To find the water valves next to specific fixtures in your home, follow these tips:

• Sinks – look in the cabinet on the supply lines leading to the faucet. There will likely be two shut-off valves to control both cold and hot water.
• Toilets – look close to the ground behind the toilet, along with the metal tubing leading to the tank.
• Washing machines – look either directly above the washer or pull the machine away from the wall and check behind it for the hot and cold water.
• Water heaters – the water valve should be located just above the water heater itself.

You may discover that the shutoff valve to your fixtures are damaged or not working. When this occurs, turn off the main water valve right away. Acting fast could save you plenty in water damage cleanup and repair costs. At Yellow van, we know how terrifying it can be to try shutting off your water supply just to see the valves stick in place – or worse, break off in your hands. That’s why we recommend periodically checking your valves to ensure they’re in good working condition.

Looking for more information on water damage cleanup in Aurora? Check out our other blogs! Or give Yellow Van a call today!