Nowadays, we’ve all become accustomed to modern plumbing. Most homes have dependable facilities to dispose of waste and get hot water into our faucets. When your plumbing fails, however, you quickly remember how lucky we have it. There are many potential issues that could have you dashing for the phone to call a 24-hour plumber. Here are 10 of the most common plumbing emergencies you might come across.
1. Clogged Toilets
Nothing is worse than a toilet that doesn’t want to flush. You press the handle, but the bowl only fills up with more water without draining. Usually, this is because something is in the pipes clogging it. This could be from an excessive amount of toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, or even waste itself. If you keep trying to flush, you may cause the contents of the toilet to spill out onto the floor of your bathroom. This is a serious problem if this is the only toilet in the home. You can start by using a plunger to loosen up the clog. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to call in the professionals.
2. Clogged Sinks or Tubs
It’s one thing when you have a sink that doesn’t drain properly and is slow. It’s a different thing completely when it won’t drain at all. You can’t use a non-draining sink to wash your hands or brush your teeth. This once again becomes a serious emergency when you don’t have many other sinks to use. It can also become a serious problem if things are overflowing and starts to fall onto the floor. First, try to unclog the drain yourself with your fingers or a wire clothes hanger. If this doesn’t work, call a plumber.
3. Burst Pipes
Just like it sounds, this occurs when a pipe breaks for some reason. If there is a “burst,” an extremely large amount of water will come rushing out where the break happened. This can happen if the pipes are super old. It could also happen if water freezes in the pipes during the winter. To prevent this from happening, you should never let the temperature in your home get below freezing. You should also check your pipes from time to time to ensure that they are able to withstand the regular wear and tear they will have to go through.
4. No Hot Water
Most people don’t particularly enjoy cold showers. They can be absolutely brutal in the winter. This can also become problematic when running the dishwasher or the washing machine. If a no-hot spell lasts for several days, you need to do something to fix the problem. It could be an issue with the water heater. Some of the most common problems that affect water heaters include the heating mechanism breaking, sludge building up inside the water take, and a broken dip tube. All of these things can be fixed by your local emergency plumber in San Antonio. You should also keep an eye out in the case you see leaks by your water heater. That could be a sign that it’s going to run into a problem soon.
5. Sump Pump Failure
If your home has a basement or a crawl space, you probably have a sump pump. The sump pump is a device that helps prevent your home from flooding in the case of extreme rain. Since the basement and crawl spaces are usually below surface level, they are especially susceptible to flooding. If your sump pump gets over worked, it could fail. It may get a stuck switch as well. Many times, there could also be debris clogging up the sump pump preventing it from spinning. If your sump pump stops working during a storm, your home could flood. It could also result in expensive repairs. Call a plumber immediately if you anticipate rain.
6. Broken Water Line
Every home has a water line that delivers water from your primary local water source directly to your home. If this isn’t working, you may notice that the water doesn’t seem to be coming through. The pressure could be lower throughout your home, or it might even sputter. Another sign of a problem is if you notice wet, soggy patches in your yard. The line is probably broken in this location. A broken line can also mean higher utility bills since your water will be leaking on the way to your home.
7. Broken Washing Machine Hose
While not necessarily an emergency, you rely on your washing machine. You use it to wash your clothes to look professional and clean at work. You also use it to keep your sheets and blankets sanitary and free of odors. If the hose to the washing machine breaks, you won’t be able to wash anything. You’ll be forced to take your clothes and bedding to the laundromat. If you try to run a washing machine with a broken hose, it will spill a lot of water.
8. Toilet Won’t Stop Running
Have you ever noticed your toilet wouldn’t stop running? No matter what you do it behaves like it’s constantly flushing? While it may be usable, this is using up a lot of water. Your bills will skyrocket. Any emergency plumbing call will be less expensive than the water bill you’ll get if you leave neglect the running toilet for several days. You may be able to open up the tank of the toilet to see if you can resolve the issue yourself.
9. Sewage Backup
You may smell a sewage backup even before you see it or notice it in other ways. The sewer is where all waste goes after it’s flushed. When it backs up, this waste comes back into your home. Not only is it awfully bad smelling and unattractive, but it’s also quite the health risk to everyone in your home. Since the waste is unsanitary, people may get sick. If you notice a sewage backup happening, you should call a plumber to fix it immediately. You should then make sure to clean with plenty of bleach.
10. Severe Leaks
A tiny leak can probably be put off for a couple of days. However, severe leaks are going to waste a lot of money. If you are throwing buckets of water out every single day from the same leak, you need to get someone to fix it right away. You can try to use tape to prevent the pipe from leaking as much, but tape might not be able to hold back a serious leak.
When you run into a plumbing emergency, the first thing you need to do is relax. There are plumbers available to help you. Call the experts at Beyer Plumbing in San Antonio. We make emergency plumbing visits for just about any problem you can experience. Furthermore, you can talk to us about whether your problem requires immediate action or just a scheduled appointment. We’re available for residential and commercial clients, plus we offer HVAC and indoor air quality services too.
