What Is a Plumbing Emergency?

Picture this… you wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of water running. Perhaps, it’s just a sprinkler, but the sound is too close. You follow the ‘water running’ sound into your bathroom and suddenly your socks get soaked. What do you do? How do you determine when you should call for plumbing help and when it can wait?

It is certainly inconvenient when a dishwasher breaks down or a garbage disposal becomes inoperable, however, it’s likely not worth the extra money to call in a plumber on a Sunday afternoon, after hours, to fix something like that. On the other hand, there are definitely times when it is crucial that you call a plumber right away in order to recent further damage to your home.

Below we have listed our top Emergency Plumbing situations:

Water leaks – if you ever happen to find water leaking, that is considered an emergency situation. Burst pipes are the reason for major water damage. You should shut the water off to your house immediately and contact a plumber. Once water soaks into drywall or flooring, it can cause damage that cannot be undone and must be attended to right away.

Frozen pipe – these are the worst because not only do you have zero water for flushing, showering, or drinking, but it’s also very likely that ice will damage the pipe and cause it to split. Burst pipes and wall leaks can cause extensive damage to ceilings, floors, walls, and electrical wiring. If you delay plumbing repairs, you may end up paying thousands of dollars for home renovations. You may also develop mold or mildew growth, which can contribute to allergies, asthma, and respiratory problems. Contact your plumber immediately if you suspect your water pipes are frozen.

Blocked drain – the first step would obviously be to unclog the sink, however, if you are unable to that blockage could cause water to back in other parts of the home and cause flooding. A professional plumber can assist you to remedy this type of situation and you will end up saving yourself a lot of money and hassle by avoiding a catastrophic situation such as flooding.

Clogged toilet – If you are unable to unclog your toilet yourself, first make sure that you have turned the water off and that the toilet lid is down. In addition, make sure that everyone else in the house knows not to flush the toilet again, which can cause a messy flood in the bathroom from the overflow of the toilet being flushed. Get a plumber in immediately to help get rid of the clog and prevent a messy disaster if it overflows.

Leaking hot water heater – You have a huge problem on your hands if you find your hot water heater leaking. Containing that much water and keeping it cleaned up is impossible to do on your own. Shut the water off immediately to the house and call a plumber. If the hot water heater isn’t leaking, but simply isn’t heating the water any longer, then it’s your call. If your household is fine with cold showers until the morning or until the weekend over then you can wait on calling your plumber during business hours (rather than emergency after hours) for a repair.

We understand that worrying about the extra expense of plumbing emergency services can be stressful. However, when you consider the expense of water damage restoration, it can usually cost far more to repair and restore a damaged home than having a professional plumber come to your house and fix a frozen pipe or clogged drain. When you call The Plumbing Joint, you will be treated fairly and our professional plumbers will help you avoid further water damage and repair your plumbing quickly and efficiently so that you can get back to what’s important. Give us a call now at (425) 228-3204 to get a free estimate, or to get a plumbing technician sent out to your property right away!