Have you ever wondered if it’s safe to use the toilet or shower in your home while the power is out? You may have access to water through your plumbing line, but you should be cautious. Follow these tips to know how you should use your plumbing system during a power outage.
Water heaters, even those that burn a fuel like natural gas, need electricity to run. All water heaters use electricity for some of their functions. Natural gas based water heaters generate their own electricity, but electricity-based water heaters must have the power supplied. No power means no hot water. If you have heated water in a tank, it may stay warm for a little while after the power goes out. But sometimes, hot water is an absolute necessity. In those cases, you might consider getting a generator to run your water heater.
Even without hot water, you may notice that your faucets still run fairly normally during a power outage. Homes that are connected to the local water supply should still have access to cold water. People who use an electric pump to draw water out of a well may temporarily lose access to water. If the power outage relates to flooding, you may be concerned about water contamination. Follow the news to see if the city puts out any specific guidelines. You should always wait to use any water for drinking or cleaning if there’s any question about its safety.
You probably have a toilet that relies on gravity for flushing. In this case, your toilet should flush waste like it usually does even with the power out. However, if the power outage is due to a larger storm that could affect your access to fresh water, you may want to minimize the amount of flushing you do.
A sump pump is a system that will help to remove water in the event of a flood. Sump pumps, like water heaters, use electricity to run. They are an amazing tool! At Mr. Plumber, we believe that a sump pump is your best protection from water damage. A power outage during a big rainstorm could put your sump pump out of commission until the power comes back on. Because of this, many homeowners consider having a sump pump backup system.
For most Atlanta homeowners, getting through a summer power outage mostly calls for a bit of patience. But there are times that loss of power causes serious issues with other systems, like plumbing, in your home. If that happens, give us a call on 770-777-1111 to get the help you need.
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