Burst pipe or tank.—Immediately cut off the flow of water by closing the shutoff valve nearest to the break. Then arrange for repair.
Water closet overflow.—Do not use water closet until back in working order. Check for and remove stoppage in closet bowl outlet, drain line from closet to sewer, or sewer or septic tank. If stoppage is due to root entry into pipe, repair of pipe at that point is recommended.
Rumbling noise in hot water tank.—This is likely a sign of overheating which could lead to the development of explosive pressure (Another indication of overheating is hot water backing up in the cold-water supply pipe.) Cut off the burner immediately. Be sure that the pressure-relief valve is operative. Then check (with a thermometer) the temperature of the water at the nearest outlet. If above that for which the gage is set, check the thermostat that controls burner cutoff. If you cannot correct the trouble, call a plumber.
Cold house.—If the heating system fails (or if you close the house and turn off the heat) when there is a chance of subfreezing weather, completely drain the plumbing system. A drain valve is usually provided at the low point of the water supply piping for this purpose. A pump, storage tank, hot-water tank, water closet tank, water-treatment apparatus, and other water-system appliances or accessories should also be drained. Put antifreeze in all fixture and drain traps.
Hot-water and steam heating systems should also be drained when the house temperature may drop below freezing.
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1972 O-478-903
Transcriber Note
Produced from material made availablel from the Internet Archive and is placed in the Public Domain.