Is there anything worse than a clogged toilet? How about leaky pipes that can ruin your furniture and flooring? If you’re a homeowner, expect to face at least one plumbing emergency in your lifetime (but you’re most likely going to come across a few of them over time). What do you do when a plumbing emergency strikes? Here’s how to recognize and deal with most common plumbing emergencies:
Clogged drain
A clogged drain is a very common plumbing emergency, and luckily, it can be solved by amateurs like you and me easily. Many things can cause this plumbing hassle, but mostly, the thing to blame is hair and grease. Before you call the professional to help you get your drains flowing again, you can attempt a few home solutions. For instance, start with drain cleaning chemicals, then to for a plunger or a sink drain auger—these can save you money and time on waiting for plumbers to arrive. If nothing works, professionals will find the clog quickly and break it without too much trouble.
Overflowing toilet
This plumbing emergency is dreaded by everyone. Usually caused by a clog, an overflowing toilet can cause a huge mess in your house and create damage that costs hundreds of dollars to your furniture, fixtures and flooring. If an overflow starts to happen, the best thing you can do is rush to close the water supply next to the toilet (near the bottom). Next, move to the tank cover and lift the float cup or ball to stop the running water. In case the flowing water comes from a clog and not a sewer backup, you can shut off the water, use a plunger and eliminate the clog. If the plunger doesn’t help, an expert will.
Sewer backup
A sewer backup sounds very scary and it actually is. In your home, you have water lines that bring water to your home and sewer lines that take it away. When a backup happens in the sewer (usually caused by toilet paper, tissues, hair and grease) the water and gasses can come back to your house. If you notice multiple drain clogs, weird sounds from the toilet and bad odors, you will need to call an expert to eliminate your sewer backup.
No hot water
We all know how annoying it can get when the water just won’t get hot for a bath or shower. This problem usually points to the water heater. Today, there are two most popular types of water heaters—gas and electric. If you notice any wires coming from a small module on the side of your unit, it means you have an electric water heater. On the other hand, if you notice pipes or hoses leading from the module to the side, your water heater is using gas to heat your water. When you know which type you’re working with, you can start assessing your problem more closely.
To restore hot water supply to your home, sometimes all you need to do is adjust the thermostat on the water heater using a knob on the unit. This is a simple fix people often overlook in favor of a displaced wire or a disconnected gas line (which is the second thing to keep an eye on). If you don’t see any issues with the thermostat or wires/pipes, you probably need a new heating element in the heater. This is an issue you should leave for professionals because if you mess up, you can end up with great damage and serious injuries.
Water leak
Is water coming out under your sink? It might also be boiling up in your backyard. This means you have a water leak that has to be stopped as soon as possible. To stop the leak, first, locate your main water shutoff valve that will stop all the water in your property. This valve is usually placed under a sink, next to your water heater, by the washer, placed by the meter or outside on the street. You might require a special key to turn off the water supply in places like Australia because the authorities don’t want you to mess with pipes on your own. There’s usually not much you can do to fix water leakage, so call your local plumber in Blue Mountains and get your issues sorted out ASAP. Real professionals also don’t serve any hidden fees, so you don’t have to worry about payment.
There you have it, the biggest and most common plumbing issues. Plumbing is not rocket science and some issues you can fix quickly on your own, but if you need to handle more serious breaks, it’s best to let professionals do their magic—it’s safer for you, your family, your home and your wallet.