How To Deal With A Plumbing Emergency When You're Babysitting
When babysitting, you might anticipate all sorts of problems. You might worry that your charges won't want to go to bed on time or that they won't want to eat their dinner, for example. One problem that you might not have anticipated, however, is some sort of plumbing emergency. Dealing with an overflowing toilet or a water heater that is flooding the house might not seem like a part of your job description, and you might not know what to do. These steps can help you through.
Locate the Problem
First, if possible, try to locate the source of the problem. If you hear water gushing from somewhere in the home, you'll probably want to check the bathtubs, washing machine and water heater first, if you know where they're located. If you smell a sewage smell, you'll want to check the bathrooms.
Shut Off the Water
To prevent the damage from getting worse and to protect you and the kids from dealing with even more water, you'll need to shut off the water if at all possible. If the water is coming from the toilet or the water heater, you should be able to find a shut-off valve nearby. If you can't find a shut-off inside the house, you may be able to find a whole-house water shutoff near the water meter outside. If you can shut off the water, you can help prevent any flooding from getting worse.
Keep the Kids Away
You might be under enough stress already when dealing with a major plumbing emergency while you're babysitting, and you definitely don't want for the kids to go swimming in the mess or to track the water everywhere. For their safety and for the general cleanliness of the home during a plumbing emergency, distracting the kids in an area away from the plumbing problem -- such as with a book or game -- is a good idea.
Contact the Homeowners
As soon as you can, get in contact with the parents. They might choose to come home and try to handle the plumbing problem themselves, or they might choose to hire an emergency plumber. Either way, you'll want to make sure that they are notified as soon as possible. Then, they can give you further direction, and they won't be able to say that you didn't keep them informed about what was going on at the house while they were gone!
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