If your taps won't stop running, if your toilet is blocked or if you have broken pipe leaking water into a growing puddle across your floor, then you will need assistance from an emergency plumber. An emergency plumber will know how to repair or replace the damaged pipework and prevent further water damage from occurring. In most cases, you shouldn't try to fix a plumbing problem yourself unless you have the training and equipment to do so, but that doesn't mean that you can do nothing. Calling the emergency plumber at the earliest opportunity is important, but you still have to wait for the plumber to arrive. While you are waiting for the plumber, water is still running and causing damage to your home. Here is how you should respond in three situations when you are waiting for the emergency plumber to arrive.

Do you have a burst pipe?

If a fault in your pipe has caused it to burst, then you will be faced with water leaking into your home. This water can damage the furniture in your home and can also harm the wiring in the walls of your property. The first thing you should do is to turn off the water supply so that no further water enters the pipe. Next, you must turn off your electricity and your HVAC system to lower the risk of electrocution. To catch any water still coming out of the pipe, you should use a bucket or try to seal the pipe using plumbers tape if you have any available.

Is your sink or toilet blocked?

A blockage in the sink is inconvenient, but if your toilet is blocked, then the situation is potentially disastrous. Before calling an emergency plumber to clear a blockage, it is often useful to attempt to clear the blockage by vigorously working a plunger up and down. In many cases, the plunger will be enough to resolve the issue, but if that doesn't work, then it's time to contact the plumber.

Have you lost your hot water?

If your home has no hot water, then it's likely that there is a problem with your boiler. Before you contact an emergency plumber, it is always worth checking that the boiler is still turned on. Make sure that the circuit breaker hasn't tripped or that you don't simply have to 'reset' the boiler to solve the problem. If you can't identify the fault, then call in the plumber and let them get to work.