If you own a home, you may encounter a lot of different plumbing problems, and some might even be emergency situations. One example of an emergency situation with a plumbing system is when a faucet will not shut off. If you try everything in your power to get your faucet off but cannot stop the water from flowing from it, you may need to call an emergency plumber.

What to Do Before Calling an Emergency Plumber

Before you rush to the phone to call an emergency plumber, there is one main thing you can do, which is to shut off the water with the shut-off valve. If you look below the sink of the faucet that will not shut off, you may see a valve that is called the shut-off valve. If you see one, turn it. This should shut the water off to this faucet only. If you do not see one, there is a chance this faucet does not have a shut-off valve. If the faucet is a tub faucet or exterior spigot, you may not even have access to the shut-off valve for the device. If you cannot find a shut-off valve, you will need to shut the water off to your home.

To shut the water off to your home, you will need to look for the main water valve shut-off device. This should be located near your water pump. If you shut this off, it will stop all water from entering your home. After getting the faucet off, you should then contact a plumber.

What the Plumber Will Do

When the plumber arrives, it is his job to determine why the faucet will not shut off so that he can fix the problem. Several things can cause a faucet to not shut off. In some cases, this happens when a faucet is shot. If the faucet is shot, the only way to fix the problem is by replacing the faucet.

A faucet may also not shut off if the handle is stripped. This can happen over time and with use, and it will cause a faucet to keep running even when the faucet handle is placed to the 'off' setting. The plumber will be able to locate the problem by taking the faucet apart, and this is the first step needed to fix it.

If you have any type of emergency plumbing problem, call a plumber for more info.