When you are faced with emergencies such as a medical condition or an accident, you call for emergency services. But when your plumbing or HVAC system breaks down in the middle of the night, who are you going to call?
Good thing there’s 24/7 emergency repair services for HVAC and plumbing systems. If you live in Sugar House, Utah or other locations in the U.S., you can find a plumber that offers such services.
Plumbing Problems
If you’ve ever had to deal with a burst pipe in the middle of the night, you surely know how inconvenient it is. If you let it be, not only will you incur a high water bill, but the likelihood of water damage to your home could increase threefold by the minute. A burst water line requires immediate attention.
Here are some of the most common plumbing emergencies you may experience at home:
The ever-present danger from burst pipes
Of all plumbing emergencies, a burst pipe is the most dreaded. Approximately 100 gallons of water could be released within 8 hours. Corrosion is the most common cause of this problem. Should you experience this, turn off your water mains, and then call the plumber for emergency repairs. If possible, try moving your furniture somewhere safe to avoid water damage.
Toilet has back-flowed
Your eyes will bulge with horror if, after your flush, you see water going up instead of going down. It could just be a problem with the water closet, or your toilet drain is clogged. The first thing to do is shut off the water going to the toilet. To do that, turn the water valve counterclockwise. If it starts going down, it could be a simple clog, which could be fixed by using a plunger. Otherwise, it’s best to call a plumber just to be sure.
Drains in the kitchen sink are clogged
Too often, it’s easy to just pour grease or coffee grounds down the drain, which you know may cause a blockage in the drain. If this or other dense materials accumulate, it would take more than a plunger to remove the clog. Professional plumbers use an ‘auger’, which is a metal wire, to remove the cause of the clog.
Leaky pipes
Leaky pipes are difficult to fix, as it could be coming from anywhere. While it may just be a matter of tightening a leaking joint, doing so may cause leaking in other joints. If the pipe has sprung a leak, then it’s a whole new fix that’s needed.
Failure of your sump pump
A malfunctioning sump pump is not a good thing, as flooding in your basement could occur at any moment. Make sure the impeller is not being prevented by debris. If that is clear, then it could be that your sump pump’s electrical mechanism is faulty or the float switch has failed. It could also be that it has shut down due to thermal overload, which is common if it has been running for long periods.
The water heater is defective
If the water heater is defective—a leaking tank, inconsistency in water temperature, strange color and smell of the water, or strange noises from within the water heater—call the experts to address the problem immediately.
The problem with trying to fix plumbing issues by yourself is that it may cause a bigger issue if the proper fix is not done. A professional’s touch would ensure that the problem is properly addressed and other, less obvious issues are spotted and rectified before they cause another plumbing emergency.