All homeowners have to deal with occasional emergency plumbing situations. Clogged drains and appliances are normal annoyances, as are dripping mixers and faucets as well as sinks and sinks that keep water running in a constant drip. However, sometimes problems in pipes, drains, and other plumbing systems will demand emergency attention. 

Water or moisture that may be present in parts of the home where it shouldn’t pose a serious threat, and massive water loss is costly. This is not to mention the hidden damage that it can be causing to the floor, walls and even the foundation of the house.

Importance of Your Home Plumbing

All that complex of pipes in your home can have problems. In many cases, if they are not treated in time, they produce an emergency with great consequences. They could even put the integrity of your home and the health of its occupants at risk.

There are problems that are common and perhaps by following our recommendations you will be able to solve them. Although you may need our help and we will be there for you.

Common Emergency Plumbing Tools & Products

Here are some of the tools you may need to repair some of the most common emergency plumbing problems in the home.

• Wrench. It is an adjustable wrench that is used to loosen or adjust nuts or bolts.
• Plunger. This serves to eliminate obstructions in the pipes by generating pressure.
• Tap key. It has a similar use to that of the wrench, but for larger pieces. It comes in various sizes
• Lockable jaw
• Pliers.
• Screwdrivers
• Pipe cutter
• PVC or copper pipes
• Steel link
• Clamps
• Stripper
• Teflon tape

Tips for Doing Emergency Plumbing Work

The first thing is prevention, the best emergency plumbing jobs are those that are done before something bad happens. For example, washing machine hoses need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years, sometimes they are forgotten and they start to leak.

Check regularly for any faults in the pipes to replace what is necessary. Inspect the drains, also note if there is mold somewhere and check for small leaks.

During the colder months take care of the pipes by insulating them from the outside. That way they will last much longer. Some tips when doing emergency plumbing work are:

• When unlocking toilets be sure to wear sturdy rubber gloves.
• Wrenches and joint pliers are excellent tools for retrieving items that have fallen into the drain.
• A tap wrench fits where most other faucets can’t.
• Have all the tools you need close at hand.
• Do not forget to close the main water pipe or if you have one in the bathroom, close it.

Top 5 Common Home Plumbing Problems

A burst pipe, a clogged drain, or a backed-up toilet can cause plenty of problems for homeowners. In addition to the damage to your property and the stress these issues cause, dealing with these problems at home can be costly as well. 

That’s why it’s important to know how to recognize the most common emergency plumbing problems and know where to find help if you need it. Here are the top five common home emergency plumbing problems.

• Sudden Leak

If you wake up one morning to a huge puddle in your basement, it may be an emergency. But for most home emergency plumbing problems, there are some steps you can take to remedy them until you get professional help. The key is knowing when it’s time to call a plumber. Here are some of our top five common plumbing problems and how you can fix them until help arrives.

• Clogged Drain

When a pipe bursts, water will pour from it uncontrollably. To protect your home from damage, you need to turn off all of its water sources. If you can’t do that yourself, contact a plumber immediately. Even if it’s after hours or on a weekend, there are 24-hour plumbers available through many websites and phone apps—your local hardware store might even offer after-hours service or have a number for you to call.

• Burst Pipe

If you hear a strange hissing noise from your water, look to see if there are any cracks in your sink or floor. If so, you might have a burst pipe—this is one of those emergency plumbing problems that requires immediate attention. 

Because fixing a broken pipe requires shutting off water at both your home’s main line and fixture, it’s best to call a plumber first. When you do shut off the water, let all of it drain out first—water can be dangerously hot after coming into contact with a busted pipe for hours on end! Once it’s drained out safely, turn off both valves and wait for an expert to take over from there.

• Water Pressure Fluctuations

Hot water is obviously something we use in our homes almost every day. So, when you can’t get it or there’s an issue with hot water, it’s an emergency. No matter if you need a quick fix or long-term solution to your problem, call your local plumber.

• No Hot Water

If you turn on your faucet and nothing comes out, there may be a problem with your water heater. Turn off all of your hot water fixtures, including sinks and showers. Then, turn on a cold-water tap to see if water flows from it. If not, either your tank is empty or your pilot light has gone out. Either way, you’ll need to call a plumber immediately.

Reasons to Hire an Emergency Plumber

Although in some cases you can solve the emergency plumbing problems that arise in your home. Sometimes these require the intervention of an experienced expert.

Some of the reasons why you should hire a plumber are:

Experience

Plumbing problems are sometimes not as simple as they look. These can have a deeper origin and difficult to resolve.

Professional plumbers have the knowledge and experience to detect the true source of the problem and fix it. They will also carry out the work in the shortest possible time and using the best materials and technologies.

Do not try to install boilers or heating systems on your own. Neither place or repair or toilets, sinks or similar elements. In these cases, we recommend calling an expert.

You can save money

Many people think that hiring an unlicensed plumber or doing the emergency plumbing work themselves will save money.

The truth is that this in the long term could lead to higher expenses. Since if the problem is not solved correctly it will generate more and worse consequences in your home. In addition, the failure will be aggravated and it will be more difficult to solve which increases the costs.

Plumbing emergencies

Plumbing emergencies can happen at any time. These must be solved quickly.

Some of the most common plumbing emergencies are: stopped or clogged drains, exploding pipes in the water distribution system, gas leaks, pipes frozen in winter, and overflowing toilets.

Maintenance tasks

In order to maintain all the installations and systems related to the distribution of water and gas, it is important that the corresponding maintenance is applied to them.

For this you must hire a professional plumber to perform the inspection and evaluation of the systems. And then clean the pipes and eliminate any problems that may exist.

By knowing common home emergency plumbing problems and how to fix them, you can react to these issues. Have you done any emergency plumbing repairs in your home? How have you been in this process? Let us know.