Locating Water Shut Off Valves in an Emergency

2/1/2023 (Permalink)

No one expects pipes to burst, water heaters to break, or toilets and washers to overflow.  If this happens, your quick response along with the highly trained specialists of SERVPRO of Fernandina Beach/Jacksonville Northeast will limit your damages and potentially save you thousands of dollars! Here are some tips for locating water shut-off valves on your property.

How to Find the Water Shut-Off Valves

If you have a water emergency, knowing the location of the shut-off valve could save you thousands in water damage repairs. Home water systems contain two types of shut-off valves: main or master shut- off valves for stopping the flow of water to the entire house. These can be tricky and might involve the help of a professional—like a plumber or SERVPRO.  An alternative is finding individual or supply shut-off valves for specific appliances and fixtures. Try these first.

Try to Cut Off Water Close to Source

If you have a leak at your toilet, sink, clothes washer, or ice maker, shut off water close to the source:

• Toilet:  Look under the toilet, against the wall for the flexible metal tubing.  Turn the handle clockwise until it stops.  Do not force.
• Sink:  Look under the sink cabinet.  There will be two sets of flexible metal or plastic tubing.  Turn handles clockwise.
• Clothes Washer:  Some houses have the valves clearly exposed above and behind the washer.  Turn both valves clockwise.  If you do not see these valves, slide the washer outward and you will likely see them.
• Dishwashers: The water supply tube running to the dishwasher often has a fixture shut-off valve controlling it. In many cases, this is also located under the kitchen sink base cabinet, and it may be close proximity to the sink faucet shut-off valves. 
• Refrigerator ice makers/water dispensers: The small copper or mesh supply tube running to the refrigerator usually has a small saddle valve or other devices that can be shut off to close down the water supply. 

Locate Water Main Shut-Off Valve Within the House

This is the best way to shut off water in your house, but locating water shut-off valves indoors can prove to be a tricky task.  It will, however, cut off your home's entire water supply, allowing you to open up any pipe within the house.

 Hopefully your water shut-off falls can be easily found--either the knob or lever on a border wall. However, if it’s not so easy to locate, your valve is likely in one of these following places:

• On a perimeter wall of your house
• At ground level, so you’ll be looking for it lower on the wall if you’re on the ground level floor
• In a straight line from your outdoor water meter
• Noted on your property inspection report from when you purchased the house
• Behind an access panel
• NOT under a sink or next to the water heater

If you don’t want to play plumbing detective, or if you need help locating your main water shut-off valves, you can schedule a service call for SERVPRO of Fernandina Beach/Jacksonville Northeast.

Did You Know: A Water Damaged Wall Can Be Dried & Restored, Rather Than Replaced?

5/10/2022 (Permalink)

Drilling small holes along the bottom of the wall and ventilating the wall cavity can greatly reduce drying time.

So a plumbing leak or other water intrusion leaves you with wet walls. Here’s the question we at SERVPRO often get: Do the walls have to be removed and replaced? Well, it depends.

In the past, restoration practices called for the replacement of wet drywall from walls. Today there is technology that allows SERVPRO to save walls by drying them, which significantly reduces restoration costs.

It’s part of SERVPRO’s restore vs. replace philosophy, and it can save homeowners (or businesses) a bundle.

Factors to Consider & Steps Involved

When floodwaters or sewage have entered the home—or when structural integrity has been compromised--industry standards require the removal of porous building materials. In most other cases, saving a wall is possible when a skilled restorer such as SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest uses the appropriate techniques.

A common impediment to effectively drying walls is a vapor barrier, which is a material that impedes the evaporation of moisture from walls or other materials. Removing the outer vapor barrier or perforating gloss paint expedites the drying process.

Another consideration is insulation. A wall may contain fiberglass, spray foam, or blown-in insulation. Blown-in fiberglass can compact and move down the wall cavity when it becomes wet. When this happens, the insulating properties of the materials cannot be restored. The insulation will need to be removed and replaced. Fiberglass insulation with paper backing can usually be successfully dried using air injection or similar methods. Sprayed-in insulation usually needs to be removed.

Drying can be accelerated by drilling small holes along the bottom of the wall and ventilating the wall cavity, greatly reducing drying time. When drying is complete, these holes are patched or, ideally, covered by baseboard. The process described above is faster and less expensive than removing and replacing walls.

SERVPRO’s IICRC-certified technicians employ a specific set of standards that incorporate the field of psychometry, which involves the manipulation of temperature and relative humidity, and special equipment to measure and remove moisture and to dry a property quickly and effectively.

It's the Water that You Can't See

2/2/2022 (Permalink)

When you have a leak, many areas of your home that you can't see can be affected.

When your home or business experiences a major flood, there’s no chance you won’t see it.

A few inches of water in your basement, an overflowing toilet or a broken sprinkler are tough to overlook and so is the damage they cause.

However, there is a culprit that might not make a big splash, but can cause serious structural and indoor air quality issues: the water you don’t see.

Sometimes you might have hidden leaks or humidity issues that can start small and grow large in their destruction over time. The little leaks might turn into large deluges or wear away at structures, the humidity could make conditions right for mold growth and bad odors.

As a home or business owner, you want to be on the lookout for these sneaky sources of water loss. You also want to make sure that, if you do experience a large flood, to get it cleaned up properly. Improper water cleanup can leave those hidden problems behind.

As the diagram shows, when you have a leak, many areas can be affected. Water can make its way into sheathing, studs, insulation, drywall, baseboards, carpet and padding, wall plate, sub-floor, sill plate, and your basement and foundation.

This is where SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest comes in. We have the knowledge and experience clean up water damage of any size and get it done right the first time. We also have the proper equipment to find any moisture lurking out of sight and do away with it.

For example, we have moisture sensors, which are used to detect moisture in carpets, baseboards and walls. We have moisture meters that we use to test the actual moisture content of materials. The meters allow our technicians to accurately monitor the drying process.

And if hidden water leads to bad odors in your business, we have the tools necessary to take care of those as well. Some examples are ultra low-volume foggers and thermal foggers.

The lesson here is to be aware that water losses can be hiding in your home or business and if you find them, you can count on us to fix them.

Call SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest at 904.256.4894.

Flooding Strikes Three Units in Jacksonville Condo

1/26/2022 (Permalink)

If you have water damage or flooding, call us at 904.256.4894.

Flooding from a toilet supply line damaged three units in a Jacksonville condo. Fortunately, SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest arrived on the scene quickly to extract water and began the drying process in order to minimize damages.

The first 24 hours following a water loss are the most important in preventing secondary or permanent damage. Here are some steps you can take while waiting for the professionals of SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest to arrive.

Emergency Water Damage Tips

• Shut-off the water source, if possible or contact a professional such as SERVPRO, a plumber, or maintenance personnel to stop the water source.
• Turn-off circuit breakers for wet areas of the building when access to the power distribution panel is safe from electrical shock.
• Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping and blotting.
• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting.
• Move any paintings, art objects, computers, documents, and other sensitive valuables to a dry place.
• Do not use your household vacuum cleaner to remove water! This could cause electrical shock or damage to the device.

For more information on recovering from water damage, contact SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest at 904.256.4894.

Three Types of Contaminated Water and Restoration Steps

10/6/2021 (Permalink)

The category of water damage impacts what types of mitigation and restoration steps are needed.

When evaluating the types of water damage and how they affect an emergency water removal situation on a property, it helps to know that water losses fall into three categories:

Category 1: Clean Water

Category 1 water is from a clean source like a broken water supply line or leaking faucet. If not treated quickly, this water can turn into category 2 or 3, depending on length of time, temperature, and contact with surrounding contaminants.

Category 2: Gray Water

Category 2 water is contaminated and could cause discomfort or illness. Examples include washing machine overflow; toilet overflow with some urine, but no feces; or dishwasher overflow.

• May contain bacteria and viruses
• Can quickly degrade into category 3 if left untreated

Category 3: Black Water

Category 3 water is grossly contaminated and could cause severe illness or death if ingested and any contact should be avoided. Examples include flooding from rivers or streams, water from beyond the toilet trap, water from the toilet bowl with feces, or standing water that has begun to support microbial growth.

• May contain untreated sewage, harsh chemicals, and microbes
• Water from flooding rivers or sewer backup

Sewage cleanup must not be taken lightly. Serious long term health issues to adults, children and pets may occur due to bacteria, viruses and even parasites.

Restoration Procedures

Evaluation

Water damage restoration is often prefaced by a loss assessment and evaluation of affected materials into the categories described above. The damaged area is inspected with water sensing equipment such as moisture meters and other infrared tools in order to determine the source of the damage and the possible extent of areas affected.

Mitigation, Restoration & Drying

Emergency mitigation services are the first order of business. Controlling the source of water, removal of non-salvageable materials, water extraction and pre-cleaning of impacted materials are all part of the mitigation process. Restoration services would then be rendered to the property in order to dry the structure, stabilize building materials, sanitize any affected or cross-contaminated areas, and deodorize all affected areas and materials. After the labor is completed, water damage equipment including air movers, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, wood floor drying systems, and sub-floor drying equipment is left in the residence. The goal of the drying process is to stabilize the moisture content of impacted materials below 15%. We at SERVPRO return at regular time intervals, preferably every twenty-four hours, to monitor the equipment, temperature, humidity, and moisture content of the affected walls and contents. 

Reconstruction Services

Once dried we can commence to perform any reconstruction or remodeling services desired by the property owner. These services may be limited to replacing drywall, baseboards, and trim boards, or may entail a complete renovation if desired--including floors, cabinetry, appliances, countertops, painting, and a host of related services,

If you have water damage, don't delay. Take immediate action. Call SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest at 904.256.4894.

How to Shut Off Your Water in Case of Emergency

9/10/2021 (Permalink)

At this home, the water shut-off valve is located inside the garage.

No one expects pipes to burst, water heaters to break, or toilets and washers to overflow.  If this happens, your quick response along with the highly trained specialists of SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest will limit your damages and potentially save you thousands of dollars! Here are some tips for locating water shut-off valves on your property.

Source: The Spruce…

How to Find the Water Shut-Off Valves

If you have a water emergency, knowing the location of the shut-off valve could save you thousands in water damage repairs. Home water systems contain two types of shut-off valves: main or master shut- off valves for stopping the flow of water to the entire house. These can be tricky and might involve the help of a professional—like a plumber or SERVPRO.  An alternative is finding individual or supply shut-off valves for specific appliances and fixtures. Try these first. 

Try to Cut Off Water Close to Source

If you have a leak at your toilet, sink, clothes washer, or ice maker, shut off water close to the source:

• Toilet:  Look under the toilet, against the wall for the flexible metal tubing.  Turn the handle clockwise until it stops.  Do not force.
• Sink:  Look under the sink cabinet.  There will be two sets of flexible metal or plastic tubing.  Turn handles clockwise.
• Clothes Washer:  Some houses have the valves clearly exposed above and behind the washer.  Turn both valves clockwise.  If you do not see these valves, slide the washer outward and you will likely see them.
• Dishwashers: The water supply tube running to the dishwasher often has a fixture shut-off valve controlling it. In many cases, this is also located under the kitchen sink base cabinet, and it may be close proximity to the sink faucet shut-off valves. 
• Refrigerator ice makers/water dispensers: The small copper or mesh supply tube running to the refrigerator usually has a small saddle valve or other devices that can be shut off to close down the water supply. 

Locate Water Main Shut-Off Valve Within the House

This is the best way to shut off water in your house, but locating water shut-off valves indoors can prove to be a tricky task.  It will, however, cut off your home's entire water supply, allowing you to open up any pipe within the house. 

Hopefully your water shut-off falls can be easily found--either the knob or lever on a border wall. However, if it’s not so easy to locate, Lee Wallender of The Spruce suggests that your valve is likely in one of these following places:

• On a perimeter wall of your house
• At ground level, so you’ll be looking for it lower on the wall if you’re on the ground level floor
• In a straight line from your outdoor water meter
• Noted on your property inspection report from when you purchased the house (most likely in section 6.1)
• Behind an access panel
• NOT under a sink or next to the water heater

If you don’t want to play plumbing detective, or if you need help locating your main water shut-off valves, you can schedule a service call for SERVPRO of Jacksonville Northwest to come out and assist you. Call us at 904-256-4894 if you are interested. It would be money well spent to protect your home investment.