Emergency Plumbing
Whether a water supply issue, flooding, or blockage, an emergency plumber saves the day. These are usually high-stress situations and having a reliable and certified plumber’s number on hand is extremely important. Not all 24-hour plumbing services are equal, and plumbing is no different. Just because they are available around the clock does not make them the best option out there. Do your research, only call reliable plumbers that know how to deal with any plumbing emergency!
You’d be mistaken to think that emergency plumbers are only called on after hours or during holidays. While holiday times and seasons do make for busy periods in terms of strain on plumbing systems, emergencies can happen at any time of day or night, and any time of year.
What is an Emergency Plumber?
Where something disastrous has occurred with piping or plumbing, emergency plumbers are the professionals who are called in to remedy the issue. Problematic plumbing could prove to be a financial or aesthetic disaster (oftentimes both) if not taken care of quickly.
Blocked sewage pipes can be messy, cause hygiene issues, and run up financial costs if left as is. Foul odors often associated with sewage can also be considered an emergency situation.
Blocked drains are considered an emergency too. A drain that doesn't allow a person the ability to clean or cook is considered an emergency, should be dealt with promptly - perhaps even more so where industrial or commercial establishments are concerned. In general, the bigger the blockage, the bigger the hazard, and thus more of an emergency to deal with.
What are some common household plumbing emergencies?
A burst geyser
One of the worst plumbing emergencies that can happen (and does happen) as there is often significant damage to the ceiling area and household items that may be located near to or below the geyser. Call an emergency plumber immediately! They will not only guide you in next steps and help you to stop the profuse leaking, but they will also look into potential causes and implement remedies to ensure it is not likely to happen in future after the replacement geyser is installed.
Burst or leaking piping
A burst pipe is definitely an emergency. Excess water can become a hazard, and flooding can cause significant damage to property and possessions in the affected area. Switch off your house’s main water supply, and call a qualified emergency plumber right away.
Minor leaks where you have noticed an inexplicable rise in your water bill, or where you have found wet spots and patches in places where piping runs, is not a plumbing emergency. Please explain the nature of the leak (how severe) to your plumber over the phone so they can professionally triage the situation. A qualified and experienced plumber will know which leading questions to ask you in any situation so they can best assess how to assist.
Overflowing toilet or blocked sewer line
Overflowing toilets are everyone’s worst nightmare! If your toilet is blocked beyond repair (even after trying to unblock it with a household plunger) you need to call an emergency plumber as the blockage may be severe, or may even be caused by something further down the sewer line. In this case, the obstruction, or damage to the line, will need special attention by an expert. Emergency plumbers will often make use of specialized inspection or line clearing equipment to take care of any issues and free up the sewer line so that your toilet can drain freely when flushed.
Loss of water pressure, or loss of water supply altogether.
If you’re out of water supply, check in with your local municipality to make sure there is no scheduled maintenance, or water-shedding scheduled for your city or suburb. If you are still without water and without explanation, call an emergency plumber and give them as much information as possible such as the time at which you first noticed the water supply stopping, and from which outlets.
Large appliance drainage issues
An underestimated emergency, large household appliances that utilize water supply such as dishwashers and washing machines which are either not draining correctly during operation, or that have a leak at the hoses, or from the appliance itself, not only floods the area in which they are used, but also causing a potential electrical shock hazard as these appliances run off electricity. Switch off the electricity supply as well as water supply, and call an emergency plumber right away!
No hot water
Depending on your geyser type, there are several possibilities as to why one might not have hot water. This type of emergency is of course of more importance in colder months where hot water is a necessity. Although the cause of the issue might be basic or uncomplicated to fix, the sheer nature of not having hot water is emergency enough as it is. Call your plumber so they can help.
What can you do?
Be proactive!
You can help minimize any property damage and health risks if you already know where to locate the main and auxiliary water shut-off valves, so that you can stop the flow of water when an emergency arises. Furthermore, make the effort to learn how to safely turn off your geyser.
Stay calm!
Call your plumber, and explain the situation calmly and with as much context and information as possible. Where emergencies are concerned, your plumber will do their best to get out to you to resolve the problem as soon as possible. Many plumbers will have back-up staff or a network of local plumbers they can call on when workloads are high and plumber availability may be low - especially for after-hours call-outs.
