4 Failsafe Ways to Prevent a Flood in Your Bathroom
Here are the key plumbing tips you need to know to keep the pool in the backyard, not in the bathroom
The installation of certain fixtures, taps and drainage points can help your bathroom remain a place to wash in, not a place to swim in. Many bathroom floods happen in a home when it’s unoccupied, while others occur unintentionally when the owners are at home. Here are four plumbing tips to consider to prevent a bathroom flood.
The second benefit is that it can act as the name suggests – an overflow, should the tap be left on with the plug in. The overflow allows water to drain through the hole into the opening of the plug and waste. This is why basins with overflows require a special plug and waste.
An overflowing basin is not an uncommon occurrence if you get distracted and go off to do a chore while the basin is filling. With this point in mind, never walk away from a running tap if you’re filling a basin, sink or laundry tub. There is nothing worse than wondering why there is water lapping at your feet from a situation that could have been easily avoided.
Tip: When choosing new basins, opt for basins with an overflow.
An overflowing basin is not an uncommon occurrence if you get distracted and go off to do a chore while the basin is filling. With this point in mind, never walk away from a running tap if you’re filling a basin, sink or laundry tub. There is nothing worse than wondering why there is water lapping at your feet from a situation that could have been easily avoided.
Tip: When choosing new basins, opt for basins with an overflow.
2. Preventative measure: isolating stop valves
One of the most common causes for a bathroom to flood is from the rupture of flexible hoses inside the vanity. All hob-mounted and mixer taps use flexible hose connections, so no bathroom is immune to this situation (unless the taps have been connected with copper piping).
It is a home owner’s responsibility to check their flexible water hoses to ensure there is no unravelling of the metal threads or rust. Unfortunately, these checks are rarely done regularly, and ruptured flexible hoses are becoming a weekly incident affecting home owners Australia-wide.
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One of the most common causes for a bathroom to flood is from the rupture of flexible hoses inside the vanity. All hob-mounted and mixer taps use flexible hose connections, so no bathroom is immune to this situation (unless the taps have been connected with copper piping).
It is a home owner’s responsibility to check their flexible water hoses to ensure there is no unravelling of the metal threads or rust. Unfortunately, these checks are rarely done regularly, and ruptured flexible hoses are becoming a weekly incident affecting home owners Australia-wide.
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But there is a way to prevent a flood like this occurring: by getting your plumber to install a Whisper Flood Stop Isolating Valve on all flexible hose connections. This stop tap can be installed on each water connection where a flexible hose has been attached, and will stop water flow the moment a flexible hose bursts.
It’s a relatively new product, and is one that is usually only sourced after a flood has occurred. Alternatively, ask your plumber to install stop valves under the basins and sinks so that if the hoses burst, you can easily turn off the water inside, rather than running outside to the water meter.
Tip: Ensure all flexible hoses are connected to a flood-stop valve.
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It’s a relatively new product, and is one that is usually only sourced after a flood has occurred. Alternatively, ask your plumber to install stop valves under the basins and sinks so that if the hoses burst, you can easily turn off the water inside, rather than running outside to the water meter.
Tip: Ensure all flexible hoses are connected to a flood-stop valve.
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3. Preventative measure: floor waste
Floor waste is another preventative measure that is installed in bathrooms for more than one purpose. The floor waste can offer another route for water to drain away, should the unexpected flood occur in your bathroom.
Tip: Consider a wet room design for your next renovation or new build to further help prevent a flooded home.
Floor waste is another preventative measure that is installed in bathrooms for more than one purpose. The floor waste can offer another route for water to drain away, should the unexpected flood occur in your bathroom.
Tip: Consider a wet room design for your next renovation or new build to further help prevent a flooded home.
4. Preventative measure: check for leaks and get them fixed
The bathroom is used every day, so a leak shouldn’t be too hard to notice. But it is important to check for leaks elsewhere around your home, too. It doesn’t take much to feel around bottle traps or basin traps for leaks in the vanity. While it’s rare for them to cause a flood in your bathroom, constant drips can cause the vanity to warp due to constant moisture.
The bathroom is used every day, so a leak shouldn’t be too hard to notice. But it is important to check for leaks elsewhere around your home, too. It doesn’t take much to feel around bottle traps or basin traps for leaks in the vanity. While it’s rare for them to cause a flood in your bathroom, constant drips can cause the vanity to warp due to constant moisture.
Check the toilet for any leaks, too – the stop tap can sometimes drip. Any tap leaks should be looked at sooner rather than later, as dripping water can not only damage parts of your home, it can also add considerable cost to your water bills.
If the water isn’t coming from the tap, it may be leaking from the cistern, flush pipe or pan collar. Check around the toilet for the cause of the leak and organise for them to be fixed.
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If the water isn’t coming from the tap, it may be leaking from the cistern, flush pipe or pan collar. Check around the toilet for the cause of the leak and organise for them to be fixed.
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Most floods in a bathroom can be prevented with some simple checks and measures that can be done quarterly throughout the year. And always use a licensed plumber for bathroom renovations – many floods have occurred in bathrooms because plumbers are not used to plumbing in the fixtures.
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Do you have a plumbing nightmare to share? Tell us in the Comments, like this story and bookmark it so you can make sure it never happens again.
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Prefer to have a licensed plumber check your pipes, fittings and fixtures for leaks? Find a plumber near you, pronto
Tell us
Do you have a plumbing nightmare to share? Tell us in the Comments, like this story and bookmark it so you can make sure it never happens again.
More
Prefer to have a licensed plumber check your pipes, fittings and fixtures for leaks? Find a plumber near you, pronto
If you’ve ever noticed holes in your vanity basin, these are beneficial to you in two ways. The first reason is they allow air into the drain when the basin is full of water. When the plug is pulled, the overflow hole allows for the water to drain faster down the grated drain.
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