Emergency Plumbing

A plumbing emergency usually requires urgent action to prevent severe water-related damage or dangerous situations. Some examples are broken water mains gushing into your home, backed-up sewers, and a total outward cessation of water. These can wreak havoc on your health and pocketbook if allowed to go on for any length of time—if you're home, that is; if you're out, they could do an untold amount of preliminary damage. But what's an "emergency" in terms of plumbing? And when should you call in a professional to do the urgent sump-and-pump work needed to right your situation?

The best way to prevent plumbing emergencies is to maintain your system properly. Make sure that your pipes are well-insulated, especially in cold weather, to avoid bursting. Conduct thorough visual inspections of your system at regular intervals to catch leaks and drips before they worsen. Schedule professional inspections and maintenance as needed to ensure your system is in good shape. Never flush anything that isn't supposed to be flushed, and keep your drains cleared of grease, and you'll be good to go.

When a pipe bursts, the first thing to do is stop more water from coming out. This is usually done by shutting off the main water valve to the house. After that, it's best to open up all the pipes that are still under pressure—like your faucets and toilets—to let them drain. Once the immediate flood is under control, your next move is to call an emergency plumbing service and start your own cleanup efforts.

When plumbing emergencies strike, it’s too late to start looking for a trustworthy plumber. Resolve the issue beforehand by doing some investigation work and gathering recommendations. Review and rate potential plumbers to determine their real worth. Talk with your friends and family: Who would they trust in a tight spot? Do they have any past experiences that could help inform your choice? And when it comes to your choice, be sure to contact the plumbing service in advance to inquire about availability and emergency pricing. Você sẽ là cái gì?

Indeed, rates typically differ between standard plumbing and emergency services. Emergency plumbing, with its urgent nature, commands higher fees. You might think of them as "responsiveness" charges, with the plumbing service paying for the privilege of being "on call" and available 24/7. They also might cover the use of special tools and equipment and the necessity of working at night or on weekends when most people are not employed. If you are worried about your potential plumbing problems and the costs of their emergency assistance, you might inquire about rates beforehand, as you would with any service you might need while your house is falling apart.

If your water bill suddenly increases and there seem to be no leaks in the house, you might want to consider whether the plumbing itself is part of the problem. Underground pipes can and do leak, as can the fixtures associated with any number of plumbing-related activities. The toilet is a common source of such "invisible" leaks; for a variety of reasons, it can and often does leak without the average person ever knowing. To locate the source of your plumbing problem—if it is indeed a plumbing problem—you can and should do a thorough inspection of your entire domicile, including the water meter itself.

Several issues can lead to a sudden loss of water pressure. The most common are plumbing problems, such as leaks or clogs. If partial pressure loss is experienced in certain fixtures only, the problem is likely localized. If the pressure is low throughout the house, a whole-house issue (like a pressure regulator malfunction) is more probable. Mineral buildup inside pipes can also reduce water flow, although this tends to happen very gradually. A persistent or widespread lack of water pressure probably necessitates a call to a plumber to find the problem.

Having your plumbing system inspected annually is a good rule to follow. The inspection is an opportunity for the trained eye of a plumber to find anything that might be brewing and likely to erupt at an inopportune time. They check the pipes; they check for the presence of water where it shouldn't be, which usually means the presence of a leak; and they check to make sure that what's supposed to be plumbing is plumbing and what's supposed to be plumbing is not is not. In short, they check for panic in the plumbing.

How quickly can you expect an emergency plumber to arrive? Well, it depends on where you are, what sort of situation you're in, and even what time of day it is. Generally, a good emergency plumbing service will be able to send somebody to your home within a couple of hours. If demand is exceptionally high, like during crazy weather that has caused lots of people to flood (figuratively, of course) the local plumbing service with calls, it might take longer. Some people might die waiting. Of course, you would not be one of those people because you are reading this instead of plumbing your own emergency.

Several things can be done ahead of time to mitigate the effects of a plumbing emergency. Know where to find the main water shutoff valve for your house and any local shutoffs for various plumbing fixtures; these need to be accessed quickly in case of a plumbing emergency. Have phone numbers for reliable emergency plumbers ready to go; the best time to get service is soon after a disaster strikes. Keep on hand some basic plumbing tools and materials. If you don’t have a housemate, use sign-in/sign-out procedures to keep track of who’s home. That way, if all’s well upstairs and you’re working in the basement, you at least know half the odds are in your favor.