What Should You Do Before Water Extraction Starts?
Stop the water at the source valve, switch off power to wet rooms if the panel is dry and safe to reach, lift belongings out of the water, photograph every wet area and keep people and pets away from sewage or flood water. Then call (888) 902-1696 so a crew can start the pump-out.
First Priority: Stop the Source
Water keeps coming until somebody closes a valve. Find the shutoff at the leaking fixture or appliance first, and use the main valve where the pipe enters the house if that is faster.
If the valve will not turn or the pipe is spraying, call a plumber right away and call the extraction crew at the same time. The two jobs run side by side.
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Make the Room Safe
Water and electricity are a dangerous pair. If the breaker panel is dry and easy to reach, switch off the circuits that feed the wet rooms. If reaching it means stepping through water, leave it alone and wait for the crew or an electrician.
Stay out from under a ceiling that sags or bulges with trapped water, because it can drop without warning. Keep children and pets out of wet rooms, and do not touch cords or appliances standing in water.
Save What Can Be Saved
Belongings on wet floors soak up water fast, so lifting them out buys time. Work only in areas you can reach without wading through sewage or deep water.
- Carry electronics, papers, photos and small furniture to a dry room
- Slide foil or plastic blocks under heavy furniture legs
- Pull rugs off wet floors, and hang or lay them flat in a dry spot
- Move artwork and books off low shelves
- Leave heavy appliances and anything that needs two people for the crew
Document Before Anything Moves
Photos and video of the damage help the insurance claim later, so shoot every wet room before items are moved or thrown out. Wide shots show the extent and close shots show the materials.
Write down when the water was found, what you think caused it and when it was shut off. Keep ruined items until the adjuster sees them or the claim says they can go.
What to Skip
A few well-meant moves make water damage worse. Hold off on these until the crew has looked at the loss:
- Using a household vacuum on standing water, which risks electric shock
- Turning on a ceiling fan or light fixture under a wet ceiling
- Walking on soaked carpet over sewage or flood water
- Leaving wet items stacked on top of each other to dry
- Throwing away materials before photographing them
Floors still wet? Call now. (888) 902-1696
More Water Damage Questions
What Should You Do Before Water Extraction Starts: More Answers
Should I start drying on my own while I wait?
You can mop small puddles, lift furniture onto blocks and open interior doors. Fans and a shop vac cannot reach water inside walls and subfloor, so leave the real drying to the crew with meters and dehumidifiers.
What should I tell the crew when I call?
Give the source of the water, the rooms it reached, whether it looks clean, gray or like sewage, and how long it has been sitting. Those details help the crew bring the right pumps, extractors and drying gear.
Do I need to be home when the crew comes?
Someone with access to the property should be there at the start, so the crew can walk the loss with a person who knows where the water came from and where the shutoffs are.
What if I cannot find the shutoff valve?
Check where the main line enters the house, often near the water heater, in a basement or crawl space, or at an exterior wall. The street meter has a shutoff the water utility can close if the house valve cannot be found.
Water damage gets worse by the hour. Call now to get water extraction started, 24/7.