What to Do When Your Basement Floods

If there’s one phrase that tends to strike fear into a home owner’s heart, it’s “flooded basement.” A flooded basement always seems to happen at the least convenient time—maybe when you’re away on a vacation or while you have house guests. Whatever the case, you need to take action immediately but safely. Here’s how to handle the dreaded flooded basement scenario.

​Handling a Flooded Basement

​This checklist will get you started on exactly what you should do when you find that your basement has begun to flood.​

1. Shut off the water: If you are able, your first task must be to shut off the water in your house and keep the flooding from worsening. If you’re unsure how to turn off the water in your home, skip to step number three and contact a licensed, trusted local plumber who can walk you through the steps. Until the situation is rectified, don’t attempt to use the toilet or any other water in your home.
2. Carefully survey the damage: Your plumber will want to know what they’re dealing with, so try to get a picture of how bad the flooding is—but from a distance. Do not walk through the water, as there is a chance of electric shock or contamination from sewage.
3. Call your plumber immediately: You’ll need professional help with basement flooding, so make that crucial call to your local plumber immediately. Keep Plumbing Solutions on speed dial for just such an occasion.
4. Call your insurance company: Finally, make a call to your insurance company. This call should probably wait until you have a better picture of what has been damaged in the flooding so that you can file a detailed claim.

Remember, proper plumbing helps prevent future flooding and other plumbing-related issues. Give us a call today if you have any questions about your Boise home’s plumbing.

By Tim Smith

Published: July 06, 2016