A plumbing problem is difficult enough when you’re home to deal with it. It can be more complicated when you’re travelling, at work for an extended period or otherwise unable to get back to the house quickly.
If someone contacts you about water in your home while you’re away, the priority is to determine how serious the situation is and whether the water can be safely stopped. You don’t need to diagnose the plumbing problem remotely. Instead, focus on preventing additional damage and arranging for someone qualified to assess the problem.
A little preparation before leaving home can also make an unexpected plumbing problem much easier to manage.
Have Someone Check Your Home While You’re Away
If you’re going away for an extended period, having a trusted person periodically check the house can help identify a plumbing problem before it causes extensive damage.
They don’t need plumbing knowledge. A basic check for visible water, unusual sounds or other obvious changes may be enough to notice that something is wrong.
Make sure they know how to contact you and what you would like them to do if they discover a problem.
Make Sure Someone Knows Where the Main Water Shut-Off Is
Before leaving, it is useful to know where your home’s main water shut-off valve is located and make sure it is accessible.
If someone will be checking the property, consider showing them where it is as well.
If a plumbing failure occurs and water is actively escaping, knowing the location of the valve can save valuable time.
This doesn’t mean the main water supply needs to be shut off for every plumbing problem. Some problems can be isolated at an individual fixture. The important thing is knowing where the main valve is if it becomes necessary.
For more information, see when to shut off the water to your house.
What If Someone Finds Water in Your House?
If a neighbour, friend, family member or house sitter discovers water in your home, ask them to first consider whether the area is safe to enter.
Standing water near electrical outlets, appliances, electrical equipment or other potential electrical hazards should be treated cautiously.
If the area is safe to observe, useful questions include:
- Is water still actively flowing?
- Which room or area is affected?
- Is the water coming from a visible fixture?
- Is water coming through a wall or ceiling?
- Is more than one area affected?
- Is there standing water?
- Does the water appear to involve a toilet or drain?
The goal isn’t to have them diagnose the problem. You’re simply trying to understand what is happening.
Ask for Photos or Video
When you can’t see the problem yourself, a few photos or a short video can provide useful information.
Ask the person at the property to photograph the affected area from a safe location.
Photos may help show where water first appeared, how much of the area is affected and whether an obvious fixture is involved.
They can also provide useful information when you contact a plumber and explain what has happened.
Don’t Try to Diagnose the Problem Remotely
It can be tempting to start giving instructions over the phone based on what you think caused the problem.
Unless the issue is obvious, avoid having someone dismantle plumbing, open walls, move appliances or attempt repairs on your behalf.
Water can travel through floors, ceilings and walls before becoming visible. The location where water appears isn’t necessarily where the plumbing problem started.
Focus on safely controlling the situation rather than trying to determine the exact cause remotely.
Arrange Plumbing Help If the Problem Is Urgent
If water is actively escaping, the plumbing cannot be safely used or there are other signs of an urgent problem, you may need to arrange plumbing help even though you aren’t at the property.
Provide the plumber with the information you have, including:
- the property address
- where the problem was discovered
- whether water is still flowing
- whether the main water supply has been shut off
- who is currently at the property
- how the plumber can access the home
- your best contact information while you’re away
If someone is meeting the plumber on your behalf, make sure both parties know who to expect.
Make Sure the Plumber Can Access the Property
An emergency plumber cannot investigate a problem if there is no way to enter the home.
Before travelling, consider how access would be handled if something unexpected happened.
That could mean leaving a key with a trusted person or having another secure way for someone you authorize to access the property.
Avoid leaving keys in obvious or unsecured locations simply for emergency access.
Decide Who Can Make Decisions on Your Behalf
If you’re going to be difficult to reach while travelling, consider discussing in advance what your house sitter or trusted contact is authorized to do.
For example, you may want them to be able to contact a plumber, provide access to the house and communicate basic information about the problem.
For larger repair decisions, you may still want the plumber to contact you directly before proceeding.
Making these expectations clear beforehand can reduce confusion if something happens while you’re unavailable.
Keep Your Contact Information Available
Make sure whoever is watching the property has your current phone number and another way to reach you if possible.
It can also be useful for them to have the contact information for your preferred plumber.
You don’t want someone searching for contact information while water is actively entering the house.
What If You’re Several Hours Away?
Don’t assume you need to immediately drive home before anything can be done.
If a trusted person can safely access the property, they may be able to confirm what is happening and provide access to a plumber.
Depending on the situation, controlling the water and arranging professional help may be more useful than waiting several hours for you to return.
If nobody can access the property, explain that when you contact the plumber so you can determine what options are available.
What If You Return Home and Find the Flooding Yourself?
Sometimes nobody discovers the problem until you get back.
If you arrive home and find significant water inside, don’t immediately walk into standing water or start turning plumbing fixtures on to determine what happened.
Check for potential hazards first and determine whether water is still entering the home.
Our guide explains in more detail what to do if you come home to a flooded house.
Before Your Next Trip
You can’t prevent every plumbing problem, but you can make your home easier to deal with if something happens while you’re away.
Before an extended absence:
- know where the main water shut-off is
- make sure the shut-off is accessible
- give a trusted person your contact information
- decide how someone can access the property
- provide your plumber’s contact information
- explain who is authorized to make decisions
- address known plumbing problems before leaving
A small amount of planning can make a significant difference when you aren’t there to handle the situation yourself.
Emergency Plumbing Help in Kamloops
If a plumbing emergency occurs at your home while you’re away, Stillwater Plumbing & Heating can help assess the plumbing problem and determine what needs to be repaired.
For help with an unexpected plumbing problem, call Stillwater Plumbing & Heating at (250) 819-8247.
FAQs
Whether you should shut off your home’s water before leaving depends on your home and circumstances. Regardless of what you decide, knowing where the main shut-off is and making sure it is accessible can help if a plumbing problem occurs.
Yes. If someone is responsible for checking your home while you’re away, showing them the location of the main water shut-off can be useful in an emergency.
Access needs to be arranged and authorized. If you’re away, you may need a trusted person to provide access and communicate with the plumber.
Ask where the water was found, whether it is still flowing, which areas or fixtures appear affected and whether the water supply has been shut off. Photos can also be useful when they can be taken safely.
They don’t need to diagnose the problem. Safely controlling the water and providing basic observations about what happened are more important than dismantling plumbing or searching for the exact source.
If a trusted person can access the property, they may be able to assess the situation, safely control the water when appropriate and provide access to a plumber. You can communicate with the plumber remotely if necessary.
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