Plumbing emergencies don’t wait for a time that’s convenient for you to happen. But that doesn’t mean you have to panic when a plumbing emergency arises. You can prepare yourself ahead of time by having a plumber on hand to call and the knowledge to know when it’s time to turn to the plumbing experts instead of leaning on DIY solutions or waiting and hoping the issue resolves itself. Continue reading to learn more from your local plumbers in Buffalo, NY.
Know When to Call in the Experts
Some homeowners like to rely on their own handy skills for minor plumbing issues like clogged toilets. While even an issue like this can be a symptom of a more serious problem, it’s true that this isn’t usually a time when you would typically think to call a 24 hour plumber for help. But knowing when a situation is beyond your scope is important. Here are some emergency plumbing situations that commonly arise when you should turn to the best emergency plumber in your area to ensure your home is kept safe.
Clogged Drains
If you’re dealing with clogged drains throughout your home, you might be tempted to try cleaning them on your own. While drain snaking is an effective way to unclog drains, it should always be done by a trained professional. If you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you could actually do more harm than good! You could end up scratching your pipes/sinks/toilets, which doesn’t just ruin the appearance, it can cause leakage issues or even ruptured pipes down the line.
Additionally, professionals will have much better snakes than you will have on hand, so they will be able to reach further and get even the most difficult to reach clogs for you.
Regular drain cleaning helps prevent clogs in the first place and prolong the life of your pipes.
Toilet Replacement
If you’ve ever noticed water puddles near the base of your toilet, it’s possible there’s a hairline crack in your tank. On the other hand, a leaking toilet won’t necessarily show obvious signs at first. It could be subtly increasing your water bill. Or it could suddenly make its appearance known by damaging the room below it. Other issues like a toilet that won’t stop running, needs the handle held down for a while to flush properly, doesn’t ever flush properly at all, etc. are all small issues that could also point to the need for a new toilet.
An old toilet can quickly turn into a plumbing disaster.
Backflow
When there’s a service disruption in your main water line and the flow of water reverses, this is considered backflow. There’s many different things that could cause this to occur but the reason why it’s such a problem is because it can cause contaminated water to make its way back into your home.
Some signs of this issue could possibly include foul smelling water, discoloration of water, small visible particles in the water, and an overall decrease in water quality. However, in many cases the returning contaminated water looks and smells just like regular water. This is why special detection devices are needed to test for backflow problems.
Leaks
Major leaks are definitely a reason to call a plumber. Whether it’s your sink, toilet, water heater, dishwasher, or any other area of your home, it’s essential to call in for help.
By the time you’re noticing the leak, it could’ve been silently leaking for a while. In addition, even small leaks are often a symptom of a bigger problem and can quickly go from bad to worse. It’s best to get the leak looked into to see what’s causing it.
Common Questions About Emergency Plumbing Issues
Part of dealing with plumbing repair problems with ease is having answers to your questions. Here are some you might find helpful.
Is emergency plumbing more expensive?
If you plan ahead of time and take advantage of our offerings, it doesn’t have to be! We have several coupons you can take advantage of that can help address issues you might be experiencing now.
We also offer affordable maintenance plans that can give you peace of mind since they include an annual plumbing safety check. For most homeowners, this is invaluable.
Finally, you can always look over the manufacturer and labor warranty information to get a full picture of your future coverage as this adds value to all services as well.
What is considered emergency plumbing?
A plumbing emergency is generally any damage your plumbing system sustains that poses a risk to your health or property. A dripping faucet might be a pain but it’s not classified as a plumbing emergency. But a burst pipe would be.
The easiest way to think of it is by asking yourself if the issue can easily wait until tomorrow to be dealt with. If it can’t be, then it’s easy to see why it’s classified as an “emergency.” However, you’re in control of when you call for help. Even if the problem you’re experiencing doesn’t seem to fall under the “plumbing emergency repair” category, you can still call and double check. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your home.
What are the best drain cleaners to use at home to unclog my drains?
Chemical drain cleaners you can find at the store should never be used in your home. While they might seem to solve the issue at first, they’re likely only taking care of a very small portion of the clog that’s truly causing the problem. So the problem will be back with a vengeance in no time.
Even worse, the harsh chemicals in these products will cause more harm than good in the long term. They can corrode your pipes, leading to leaks and eventually burst pipes. If you have a septic system, you should exercise even more caution when considering using these products because they can cause issues there too.
Although calling a plumber might be a bigger expense up front, it’s absolutely worthwhile and will end up saving you money down the line since you won’t experience any of these issues in the future.
What plumbing companies near me offer emergency services?
We do! We’re proud to offer quick and reliable emergency plumbing services in Buffalo, NY, Hamburg, NY, Elma, NY, Tonawanda, NY, and many more surrounding areas! We’re on call to protect your home from the worst plumbing emergencies. Our years of service and excellent reviews should help give you peace of mind that we can handle even the toughest of plumbing problems.
Don’t Panic, Call Cellino Plumbing & HVAC
The reality is, part of homeownership is dealing with emergency situations that come up. If a plumbing emergency arises, hopefully this article helped prepare you for it so you know exactly what to do! No matter what the problem is that you’re dealing with, you can call us any time to help take care of your home as if it were our own. If you’d like to set up a plumbing inspection so you can rest easy knowing your home is set for now, have any questions, or need to speak with us for some other reason, please don’t hesitate to contact us at your convenience.
