You may want to call a routine plumber for a plumbing emergency; however, it is essential to note that routine plumbers only operate during normal business hours, i.e., from nine in the morning to around five in the evening. On the other hand, emergency plumbers are available twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, and in most cases, they are also available on holidays.
Thus, because plumbing emergencies can occur at any time of day, night, or even on a holiday, it is always advisable to have an emergency plumbing contractor on speed dial. Therefore, it is advisable to understand when to call an emergency plumber instead of a routine plumber. With that said, here are three scenarios where you need to call an emergency plumber.
Frozen Pipes
During the winter seasons, it is common for the water in your drains, main supply lines, and sewer lines to freeze, thus clogging the pipes. It is essential to note that it expands by about 9% of its volume. Thus, if you ignore your frozen pipes, the ice will continually expand until it breaks your pipes. Thus, forcing you to incur hefty plumbing repair or replacement costs.
Thus, when you note your pipes have frozen, try running hot water down the pipes to unfreeze the ice in the pipes. If this technique doesn't work, call an emergency plumbing contractor immediately to remedy the issue before your pipes start cracking due to ice expansion.
Bursts Pipe
Typically, when you have a burst pipe in your house, not only do you risk encountering a high water bill, but you also risk flooding your house. Additionally, when a water pipe bursts in your house, the running water is bound to cause some water damage which is quite expensive to repair.
Thus, a burst pipe qualifies as an emergency because it cannot be neglected for a few hours lest you want your house to get flooded or water damaged. Typically, if the burst pipe can be shut off using the main shut-off valve, you can use it to turn the water supply off so that you don't flood the house.
However, suppose the burst pipe is situated beyond the main shut-off valve. In that case, you need to call an emergency plumber to fix the issue immediately because the water will keep pouring into your house until it floods.
Overflowing Drains and Toilets
Overflowing toilets and drains occur due to clogged drain pipes. When drain pipes get clogged, the water from your toilet, sinks, and bathrooms has nowhere to go. As a result, the water will accumulate in the drain pipes until it starts backing up to the house. Thus, you encounter issues such as overflowing toilets when you flush.
Unfortunately, overflowing drains and toilets are dangerous because the backed-up water contains bacteria and germs, which can cause a disease outbreak in your home. Additionally, when toilet water backs up, it usually has a foul smell that could make staying in the house quite uncomfortable.
Nonetheless, the main issue with overflowing drains and toilets is that the water could flood your bathrooms, thus resulting in water damage to your floors and walls. Thus, as soon as you realize your drains and toilets are overflowing, make a point of calling an emergency plumber to fix the issue before you encounter any of the above issues.
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