Help When You Need it Most
Is a sink, toilet, or tub overflowing considered emergency plumbing services? Probably depends on your outlook, right? If you’re the one standing in a growing puddle of waste flowing over the toilet bowl, you’ll see that situation in need of emergency plumbing repair. To a professional plumber, though, would that be a valid reason to request emergency plumbing service?
Is a clogged toilet a maintenance emergency?
If you only have one bathroom with a toilet, it gets clogged, and it overflows, you can attempt a few things to stop the flowing and get the clog to pass through to avoid emergency plumbing services.
Remove the lid from the tank and lift up the lever so that the water quits filling the bowl and tank. Next, using a home style plunger, plunge the toilet bowl several times, attempt the flush. Repeat as needed. If, after several attempts, the clog doesn’t bust on through and the toilet keeps overflowing; you need emergency plumbing services.
Logically, if you have a second bathroom with a working toilet, it would be worth saving you money and wait to call for plumbing services during regular business hours.Emergency plumbing services are typically those calls that are after hours Monday – Friday, on holidays or weekends. While plumbing contractors are available during those times, it will cost you more than a normal day and time.
Is a leak an emergency?
If you can see a leak, then it qualifies for emergency plumbing services, except for a small drip under the sink. That is a minor repair as long as you address sooner than later. Let that small drip under the sink go unaddressed, you’ll be calling for emergency plumbing services in the near future.
What about a leak that doesn’t appear too bad? A small leak is often a warning that there are bigger plumbing problems you can’t see.From a dripping drainpipe under bathroom or kitchen sink to water stains on the ceiling or a wall, you have a bigger plumbing problem than just a “small drip”. It may not justify as worthy for emergency plumbing services, but it need not be ignored.
What to do if you have a leak?
1. Turn Off The Water: Immediately find the water meter and turn the water off at the meter. This will stop any more flooding and damage. If you can’t turn it off, you must request emergency plumbing services from the city or a plumber.
2. Documentation: This step is more for your insurance claim, but documentation is important before any clean-up or repairs are done. This includes pictures, videos, and notes.
3. Notify Insurance Company: Notifying the insurance company is the next call you need to make after you have the water turned off. They will have instructions for you and may have a list of qualified plumbers to provide.
4. Determine the Source: Look for a possible leak source, but if you aren’t finding it, call a professional plumber for emergency plumbing services. They will examine the damage already done to help them source the leak and go from there.
5. Fix the Issue: If you can make the repair yourself, that’s great! That saves you a deductible out of pocket and probably will be done faster than if you call emergency plumbing services. If you can’t fix it yourself, call a plumber.
Who can fix water leaks?
When it comes to plumbingleaks, the best person to call is a professional plumber. If you have a handyman you use, they can often provide emergency plumbing services, but if it is something outside of their ability and scope, you must call a plumber. Making a plumber your first call gets the repair done faster and circumvents a lot of stress.
If you don’t have a plumber on your speed dial, search on the internet for “emergency plumbing services near me” and you will find several listed. Keep in mind the first ten listed are necessarily there because they are the best. This is how their Google listing falls by different factors, including Google’s algorithm.
How long do emergency plumbers take?
This is all dependent on what time of the day, what day of the week you call, and if it is a holiday. Non-business hours, it could take an hour or more to hear from a professional plumber that has an answering service about their calls for emergency plumbing services.
The repair will depend on what is wrong, where the emergency is within your home, and if any emergency parts oremergency plumbing fixtures are needed. If the plumber doesn’t have something on their truck, they will have to order it, which could be the next business day.
Closing Thoughts
It is important to know what we consider a need for emergency plumbing services. We have listed five that are definitely worthy of making that call:
- Flooding risk: If you have a busted water pipe, sewer backing up, flooding, or the water won’t shut off, these are all emergency plumbing services because of the potential damage they could cause.
- Sewer back up: A backed up sewer line can get to a health hazard point and can be challenging to live with too.
- No running water: If you don’t have running water in your house that isn’t because of the city or other scenarios beyond your home, this is one of the emergency plumbing services you need to call a plumber.
- Busted water pipe risk: If you have frozen pipes and spigots, you have the potential for emergency plumbing services if they thaw or if they become so frozen, they bust because they expand and crack.