When Do You Need Emergency Plumbing Help From Professionals?
Some emergency plumbing situations are downright impossible to ignore. When your toilet starts spouting water up to the ceiling or your kitchen is awash in water, you know you need immediate help. When plumbing problems are both obvious and serious, all you can do is hit the water shutoff, call a plumber, and start sopping up spilled water. Many plumbing problems present less of a clear and present danger, though. How do you tell the difference between do-it-yourself jobs and damage that requires professional repairs?
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Can You Shut Off The Water?
When it comes to plumbing, the one act every single homeowner must know how to perform is shutting off the main water supply. Being familiar with the location and operation of your water shutoff valve can save you hundreds of dollars in damages if you use it promptly in emergency situations. Most modern homes feature multiple shutoff valves. In addition to the valve on your main water supply, many of your individual fixtures probably have shutoffs of their own. If you familiarize yourself thoroughly with all of your shutoffs, you may be able to isolate a problem fixture without cutting off your water completely. This turns an immediate crisis into a less-urgent problem.
Is The Situation Bad And Getting Worse?
If basic plumbing triage doesn’t stem the flow of water and protect your possessions, you’ll definitely need to call in a professional plumber immediately. When you can’t control what’s going on and the situation is rapidly getting worse, you’re definitely better off getting expert help sooner rather than later. Stopping a serious plumbing problem before it becomes a catastrophe is well worth the added expense.
How Badly Constrained Are You?
As a hypothetical example, say you have a toilet that’s completely non-functional. Do you have a second bathroom that’s still working? If you have workable alternatives, you likely need a service visit from a plumber during regular working hours rather than immediate emergency service. Weigh your current position carefully and make sure your need is truly urgent before picking up the phone after hours.
Take A Broader View Before Calling A Plumber
You should take a moment to make a large-scale survey before calling in plumbers. Say your water disappears entirely. You’ll need a plumber to restore it — unless you take the time to check with your neighbor and you discover that service to the entire block has been knocked out. Always confirm that your plumbing issue isn’t being caused by an accidentally-closed valve; calling a plumber to open a valve is a tremendous waste of money.
In order to conserve your financial resources and prevent unwanted stress, it’s always a good idea to learn the difference between bona fide plumbing crises and mere inconveniences. Yes, you need emergency plumbing service when the sink is spewing glop and shutoff doesn’t work. When you can get your situation under control yourself — even temporarily — you can hold off on calling the plumber.