Emergency Plumbers in Dallas

Fixing Burst Pipes

If there is a water leak because of a burst pipe, you should turn off the water at the street meter ASAP. It’s usually under a circular metal cover about 12 to 18 inches in diameter out near the sidewalk. If you can do this before we arrive, this will help reduce the damage caused to your home.

Refer to the pictures below for assistance.

To do this, you will need two simple tools that you can pick up at your local hardware store. They are inexpensive and can save you from having extensive water damage.

The first tool, to remove the water meter lid, is a water meter box lid key. Some lids have a simple locking mechanism to prevent accidental or unwanted tampering with the water meter. Other lids may not have any sort of locking mechanism, so you can usually get the lid off with a big flat blade screwdriver. You can buy a box lid key from places like Lowes or Home Depot.

The second tool is what you use to turn off the water supply to the house. It is called a curb key.

You can also buy a combination curb key and meter box key; however, it requires more physical effort to use as it’s harder to get the leverage needed to turn the water meter valve off or on.

Take off the water meter box lid and place the lid to one side. Some water utility companies wire up the meters to assist with taking readings and will have a wire connected from the meter to the lid. Make sure that if there is a wire attached to place it gently to one side without breaking the wire.

Next, put your curb key on the shut-off valve and turn clockwise until you feel it stop. It normally turns 180 degrees between fully on and fully off.

In the event that you don’t have a curb key, ask one of your neighbors. Chances are they have one in the garage in case of emergencies.

Repairing Broken Faucets

If you think that the faucet has broken and won’t shut off, you should be able to shut off the water supply via one of the shut-off valves located under the sink. That will prevent further water loss and damage. There will be two shut-off valves under the sink. One for hot, and the other for cold water supply lines. Turn them both off and wait for us to arrive to fix the issue.

Stopping Overflowing or Running Toilets

If your toilet is constantly running or has started to overflow, there are some things you can check. However, in the event you’re not sure what to do, there will be a cold water shut-off valve on the wall behind the toilet. Turn it clockwise until the water stops running in the toilet. After the water has stopped, call a professional plumber!

Fixing a Dishwasher Leak

In rare situations, the water inlet valve breaks down and can stay open, filling up the dishwasher tub nonstop. Find the shut-off valve that controls the water supply into the dishwasher. It may be a cold or hot water supply line depending on the type of dishwasher.

Turn the water supply valve to the off position by rotating it clockwise until the flow of the water stops.