Water Cuts
Outage of the water supply : Water stops coming out of the taps! What to do about it.

In some parts of the modern world, power cuts (outages of the electricity supply) are quite rare, but water cuts are even rarer, so rare in fact that some people are completely taken by surprise when it happens! Be aware, though; it can happen. What happens is the water pressure can be a bit low, and then it comes to a stop, after which when you turn the taps on, no water comes out. Also, in some places, if the electricity fails, then within a few minutes the water also fails. It can happen if the water supply pressure is provided by an electric pump, rather than by a gravity-fed height of water in a water tower.

It’s a problem, and can be quite scary, because although you can survive without electricity, you can’t survive without water. Water is an essential of human life, and it can be a bit of a shock when it stops coming out of the taps / faucets.

Here’s what to do if there’s a water cut:

1. Don’t panic. The supply will almost certainly come back on again in an hour or two.

2. Think about where you’re going to get fresh drinking water in the meantime, and in the unlikely event that the supply doesn’t resume (in case of disaster, etc). There are many possibilities and options, a few of which I’ll explain next, but first, here are a few precautions:

* Turn off all the taps. If you have turned a tap on and no water has come out, make sure it is turned back off again. This is important because when the supply returns, it will gush water out and be wasteful and possibly destructive. Taps can also suck in air, which isn’t good.

* Turn off the electric immersion heater. This should be done because if the hot water tank runs dry, the heating element will burn out if it’s powered up. Switching it off saves this from happening.

* Don’t flush the toilets. Unless you’ve got a “grey water system”, toilet cisterns contain some fresh drinking water, which is better to drink than to flush away. Yes, it’s true; the header-tanks of toilets (toilet cisterns) contain drinkable water.

Top 5 Causes of Water Leaks

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Clogs in Drains and Toilets: Clogged plumbing from your toilet, sinks, showers and drainage pipes (i.e. from washing machines, etc.) are common in most households. Hair, food, grease, toilet paper, the occasional children’s toy, etc… are all culprits at one time or another, but the result is usually the same.

Sinks, fixtures, toilets and appliances will show signs of slower drainage, and eventually, they will begin to leak or overflow causing serious problems. Unclogging pipes and drains can be a tricky job, but with some proper know how or the help of a professional, you should be able to fix these types of leaks before major damage is done.

Deterioration/Shifting of Pipes: This cause of leaking can be much harder to detect. After so many years of use, pipes naturally begin to rust and deteriorate, eventually leading to cracks and crevices that release various amounts of water. Also, natural shifting of your house frame or foundation can cause the joints in your plumbing to loosen or separate, which causes water leaks.

Sometimes it’s only a drop or two per minute, other times it’s a steady stream of water that leaks. All of this water has to go somewhere and can cause a damages if the leak is not detected and repaired in a timely manner.

Condensation/Overflowing of Drainage Pans: Many of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units have drainage pans and other systems for dealing with condensation and waste water. These things often require manual draining and can overflow if unattended for long periods of time. Be sure to check them often, especially during the hot months when ACs produce a great deal of condensation.

Rusting and Sediment in Water Heaters: The plumbing going into and coming out of a water heater is also a common point of water leaks. These leaks are often caused by rusting, deterioration and sediment build up inside of older tanks. Most hot water heaters will have many valves and filters that in can get “clogged” or blocked up from this sediment, which in turn, leads to water leaks.

External Leaks/Roots in Plumbing: This is sort of the reverse scenario for leaks, as it will happen outside of your home – but it’s a leak all the same, and can cost you a lot of money in water bills and repairs. What happens is that the plumbing and sewage pipes coming out of your home deteriorate over time, springing small leaks of vapor, which attracts roots to grow towards them.

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Don’t wait for a water emergency to learn how to turn off your homes water supply.

Locate your emergency shut off valve. This valve will allow you to turn off the flow off water into your home should you have a broken pipe or a leaking water heater.

The valve is usually located in the ground outside you home near your hose bib or spigot. Once you locate it, it would be wise to make sure that it is clearly marked and that everyone in the home knows where it is located.

Knowing where this valve is and how to use it can save you lots of cleanup and prevent water damage to your home in the event of a water emergency.

If you can’t find this valve or need to replace your old one, you can call a plumber to assist you with this project.