A sewer rupture is not a very pleasant phenomenon, which, in any case, will be accompanied by financial and time costs. Such an unpleasant situation can happen to absolutely everyone, whether it is the owner of a private house or apartments in a high-rise building.
It is worth saying that in the case of a private house, it will be somewhat easier, because there is no probability of flooding the neighbours from below, respectively, and monetary costs for the elimination of consequences.
Of course, in such a situation the search for the culprits begins and the cause of its emergence. If you live in a private house, the external drainage system, of course, is purely your personal business, and the problems that arise — yours, too. Here it is not necessary to look for culprits, in particular, if you have carried out the laying of sewer pipes by yourself.
There are several causes that can provoke a burst pipe and consequences, they include:
- In order to burst the sewer, a hole must be formed in the pipe, and it is worth saying that this is not a momentary process. More often than not, holes are formed after the formation of rust stains or deformation of the integrity of the structure. Of course, this can also lead to the contents of the sewer pipe leaking into the basement or room, which guarantees a stench;
- A sewage pipe burst can also be caused by poor quality pipes and improper laying of the pipes. Serious irregularities in the process of sewer installation will not take long to wait, and in the very near future an emergency situation can occur;
- Another reason can be a deterioration of the gaskets, for example, if the sewage system was installed from cast iron pipes. Their connection is usually made with the use of gaskets, which are characterized by wear and tear, as well as any other material. The consequence of such a failure is a bursting of the pipe, from which begins to leak its contents out, and the room begins to fill with an unpleasant odor.
What to do if a pipe has burst?
In this case, you should do the following measures:
- Under the spouting pipe, you should put some kind of container, so you can minimize the consequences of the flood;
- after that, turn off the water supply in the apartment, house or basement;
- call the emergency service and report what the problem is. Don’t be afraid to call anytime. You may easily contact a 24/7 Sunday plumber;
- turn the water valves across the direction of the flow with the thumb and the water flow will stop;
- now you can try to restore the tightness of the pipe with your hands, for this you will need a screw clamp and a rubber stopper, which should be inserted into the tee of the drainage system. Of course, it is better to buy this just in case in advance and keep it at home;
- after fixing the main patch, you should wrap the emergency place with dense cloth and put as many layers of cling film on top as possible.
All this will help you stop the flow of water for a few hours until the emergency service arrives.
Photo by Christian Mackie on Unsplash
Flooded house what to do with the consequences
When the water level descends to the 0.5 meter mark, you can conduct an initial inspection of the house and assess the losses. For the initial visit to the flooded house you need to go in high rubber boots, helmet, and respirator. You should go inside with extreme caution, making sure the integrity of the supporting structures is intact.
Next comes the following problem, when the house that you are inside is flooded. If the ceiling sags because of the leak from above, then you need to drain the water and prop up the ceiling props. The floors need to be checked for gaps. If there are such places, they should be covered with shields or boards.
Flooded the house what to do to dry the room
After the water is completely gone, you can begin cleaning and drying the house. After the area has been dried and the home has been cleaned of dirt, you should ensure that the home is well ventilated. Special dehumidifiers, which you can rent, should be used to speed up the drying process. The faster you dry your home, the less likely it is to get mold in it, the less you will have to spend on repairs to the premises. Then you need to disinfect things and begin repair work.
Conclusion
We strongly recommend: follow the technique of building a house, so as not to ask them the question – flooded the house what to do? Choose high-quality material in the construction of the foundation, the first floor, and the roof, as well as timely check the work of the plumbing.
Cover photo by Visual Stories || Micheile on Unsplash
