How To Know When You Need Emergency Plumbing Services

Sometimes it is hard to tell whether a plumbing issue you have to face is indeed an emergency, if it is something only a plumber can fix or it is a minor thing you can fix by yourself. If you totally lack plumbing skills, it’s bets to call in a specialist whenever you spot something wrong with your pipes, faucets, shower or toilet. Even if you do have skills, you may still want to make use of an authorized plumber’s services, as home insurance companies many not be willing to give you any compensation for your damage if you don’t proceed this way. Anyway, it is better to act quickly, in order to prevent major damage that would be difficult to fix.

Turning Off the Water Is a Priority

Whenever you face a plumbing issue, the first thing to do is turn off the water supply. It doesn’t matter if you are a homeowner or a tenant, you need to know where the water supply valve is and how to turn it off. If you can do it, you should, before calling in any emergency plumber. If you think it is dangerous or you can’t do it yourself, call emergency services immediately and leave the house together with anyone else who may be in. evacuate your pets as well, just to make sure they don’t risk to be flooded, should the water burst in under big pressure.

How Controllable Your Leak Is?

If you face a minor leak or just some water dripping, you can find a temporary fix by placing a bucket or a pot underneath the leak. This is not an emergency situation, but it can quickly turn into one, so try to contact a plumber as soon as you can anyway. If you think you can fix this leak by yourself, it would be safe to do it.

Has your Water Pressure Dropped Suddenly?

If you discover that the water pressure in your home dropped suddenly, you can suspect some problems with your plumbing system. Even if you don’t see any leak, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. It is possible that the problem is outside your house, so it needs to be found and repaired as soon as possible. There might be a very large volume of water going inside the ground, so you are going to face some huge water bills the next cycle.

You should call a plumber and explain the situation, then follow his instructions, if any. Valves and pipes get old and they may suffer damage, so you need to be cautious about that at all times.

Hot Water Not Running or Running with Very Low Pressure

Hot water may cause pipes to get damaged, so if you notice it starts running very slow, you can call a plumber, because it is almost sure you have a problem somewhere. Hot water problems are dangerous to fix by yourself, because you may suffer from severe injuries in case a pipe bursts and sprays hot water onto you. The problem could be anything from a simple pipe to a leak in the hot water tank or to some boiler or water heater malfunction. You need to fix the problems before the water affects your belongings.

The Sewer Backed Up

A sewer that is backed up is never a great situation. If you flushed your toilet once or twice and the problem didn’t solve by itself, you should stop flushing and call an emergency plumber. They have special techniques and tools for unclogging drains and toilets, so it’s much better to have them come on spot and rescue you instead of risking to get your entire home flooded with dirty water from the sewage system.

Why Risk Water Damage When You Have Better Solutions?

You should be aware that water damage can be extremely serious. Mold grows very fast and once it gets in there, it will be very hard to remove it completely. Mold is a health hazard, therefore your home will become unfit for living inside it. Besides, stale water will ruin your floors and your carpets. In extreme situations, water can affect the structure of the building itself. This is why you need to periodically check your water systems and see whether there are any leaks or other irregularities. Everything should be fixed as soon as it it spotted, as there’s always a risk for a minor crack to suddenly enlarge under the pressure of water. It’s like a ticking bomb, so you don’t want to live under its menace.

You should always have the phone number of an emergency plumber handy, so you can contact them and ask for immediate help if needed. It is true that you may have to pay a bit more than for regular, non-emergency services, but it is worth doing it, as this is how you can avoid a catastrophe from occurring.