Cleaning Up After A Flood | Plumber in Arlington

Any home is susceptible to flooding regardless of location. You don’t have to live in a flood plain to experience a flood in your home. Heavy rain, or ruptured sewer or water lines are potential sources of flooding. The prompt attention of a plumber in Arlington will stop the flooding of burst pipes. Regardless of how much flooding occurs, damage to your home is likely.

Preventative measures can be provided, the installation of a sump pump by a plumber in Arlington for example, can prevent a flooded basement. However, the floods nature throws at us is sometimes more than any preventative measures can handle.

plumber arlington flooded basement

Before a Flood Occurs

The majority of water damage to homes occurs with little, if any warning. You may come home to a burst water line and a damaged home. A plumber in Arlington will be glad to repair your burst pipe. A flood may never occur in your home, but if it ever does you will be glad to have prepared for it.

  • Buy Flood Insurance – Homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover most damage caused by floods. Your best bet is to purchase flood insurance. Don’t wait until a hurricane is in the forecast, there is typically a 30-day waiting period before any flood protection policy takes effect.
  • Avoid Building in a Floodplain – Before you build or buy a home, ensure it isn’t in a floodplain with county, state or federal officials.
  • Construct Barriers – If your home is prone to flooding the construction of levees and floodwalls around your home can help to stop floodwater from entering.
  • Install Anti-Backflow Valves in Sewer Traps – These check valves will stop the backflow of sewage into your home and can be installed by a licensed plumber in Arlington.
  • Have a plan to access higher ground. Ensure all family members know its location, and have a means of getting there before the roads are flooded.

Being Prepared During a Flood

If flooding is in the weather forecast, remember to:

  • Monitor the News – Keep up to date on the latest information.
  • Move To Higher Ground – In the event of a flash flood, move immediately to higher ground. Don’t wait on local emergency management to instruct you to do so.
  • Know Local Flood Zones – Flash floods can occur quickly in areas with creeks, rivers, drainage channels, and low lying areas. Know what areas to avoid, don’t risk drowning. Sixty percent of persons who drown are in vehicles that have been swept away.

Remember These Tips to Avoid Drowning:

  • Never cross a flooded road or bridge, take an alternate route.
    • Just six inches of water can float a small car away. A foot will wash most vehicles away, and two feet can wash large SUV’s away.
  • Water can hide washed out pavement, bridges and roads. If you can’t see the road due to water, don’t take a chance!
  • Stay Away From Floodwaters – Floodwaters can carry raw sewage, chemicals, and other disease causing organisms and contaminants. If you come into contact with the water, wash immediately with soap and uncontaminated water.
  • Evacuate – If evacuation is ordered and there is time – bring outdoor furniture inside and move valuables and essential items to the highest floor. Turn off power at the electrical main, gas and water at the meter, and disconnect electrical appliances. If you won’t have time to provide these preparations, proceed immediately to higher ground. Belongings can be replaced, but lives cannot.

After The Flood

After area flooding has occurred, ensure that it is safe to return to your property before attempting it. Floodwaters may continue to rise for some time afterwards. Listen to the instructions given by emergency officials before attempting to return to your property. Once you have assessed the damage, use the following steps to begin the path towards recovery:

  • Contact Your Insurance Company – Your insurance agent will guide you through the process of filing a claim, documenting the damage and loss, and starting the cleanup of your property.
  • Enter Your Property With Caution – Before entering your property, look for hazards such as gas leaks, downed power lines, leaking chemicals and potentially unstable damage to the home.
  • Remove Wet Contents – Mold can begin to grow in as little as 24 hours after a flood. Remove saturated items, clean them completely and dry them thoroughly before bringing them back inside. If items have been contaminated by chemicals or sewage, replace them.
  • Provide Ventilation and Drying – When the weather is dry, open windows and doors to allow air inside to help dry out the home’s interior. Professional dryers may be rented in order to expedite the drying process, or use fans if the plugs were not flooded. Remove baseboards to assess if water has entered the walls.
  • Extract Water – Floodwater can be pumped out using a water pump. You also have the option of employing a professional who specializes in flood damage for water extraction service. For floods of a few inches, (wearing protective gear to prevent exposure to contaminated water) use garden hoses filled with water with one end inserted into the flood waters and the other outside the home to siphon water away. Never use an electric appliance while standing in water!
  • Dehumidify – Use a dehumidifier to accelerate the drying process.
  • Clean and Disinfect – Disinfect all surfaces contaminated by floodwater to prevent the spread of disease. A steam cleaner is a great tool to disinfect without the use of lung irritating chemicals.
  • Indoor-Air Quality – After water removal, drying and thorough cleaning, an air purifier will help to filter remaining mold spores and odors from the indoor air.

Flooded Basement

Flooded basements due to ruptured plumbing lines require fast action to minimize damage to the home. Give us a call for prompt repair service by a Ben Franklin plumber in Arlington. The following steps are a helpful guide for safely handling this common occurrence in homes:

  • Shut the Water Off – For a burst water line shut the water off. If your home lacks a shut off valve to the water main, shut it off at the meter. If you are unable to shut the water off for any reason, call your local water supplier, or call for the services of a plumber in Arlington.
  • If the flood is due to a sewage line break, remember not to use a toilet or any other water using appliance until a plumber in Arlington provides for its repair.
  • Assess the flooding from a safe distance. Don’t enter the water, there is a large potential for being shocked! If access to the home’s electrical service box doesn’t involve walking through the flooded area, turn off the power main. The majority of homes have an additional power main in the electrical service panel at the power meter. The best advice is to know before a flood occurs where you can safely shut all power off. If you feel unsure and overwhelmed a Ben Franklin plumber in Arlington can provide assistance to your emergency, as well as repair the broken pipe.
  • If you have gas appliances in the basement that are flooded cut the gas off at the meter. However, if you smell gas don’t attempt to cut the gas supply off. Evacuate all occupants in the home to a safe distance away. Don’t use any phone in or near the home. It only takes a small spark to ignite a gas explosion. Don’t turn any electrical appliances, lights or other on or off. Once you and your family are a safe distance from the home and the odor of gas, you may then call 911 and your gas supplier. Then you can arrange for a plumber in Arlington to repair any broken plumbing line that caused the flood. A Benjamin Franklin plumber in Arlington can also provide an inspection of flooded gas appliances to ensure function, cleanliness and safety.
  • Use the previous instructions for removal of flood water and drying. If the flood is sewage you will need to contact a professional flood cleanup service to remove raw sewage and provide disinfection of the basement.
  • Once the home is secured from additional flood, shock and gas, dress in complete protective gear before entering the flooded basement, especially if the contamination is raw sewage. Give us a call to arrange for a plumber in Arlington or Fort Worth to provide the repair of leaking sewer or water pipes.
  • Contact a plumber in Arlington for the installation of a sump pump to prevent future basement flooding.
  • Prevent a burst pipe – If you note a water or sewer line leaking, don’t wait until it bursts to call for a plumber in Arlington. The cost of repair for a leak will be far less than the cost of repair to a damaged home from flooding.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing offers licensed plumbers for the Arlington and Fort Worth regions. Give us a call for the expertise of a professional plumber in Arlington or Fort Worth. Thanks for visiting us.