Plumbers do a wide variety of jobs, not just unclogging drains and repairing broken sink fixtures. Anything from installing a new water heater to doing gas line work is a job for a qualified plumber. Many of these jobs can be scheduled in advance because they aren’t urgent enough for an emergency response, but not all. Some plumbing problems require professional attention immediately, and a delay can mean the problem has a chance to get much worse.
If any of these four things occur in your home, you have a plumbing emergency on your hands, and you need a plumber ASAP.
No Water
If you turn on a faucet in your home and no water comes out, there are a few steps you should take before deciding you have a true emergency on your hands. First, check other fixtures. Is there water anywhere else? If not, contact your municipal water provider, and if you can’t get a response from them immediately, ask your neighbors. Has everyone lost water? That would be a municipal problem, not an issue with your home’s plumbing. Does everyone else still have water? There’s probably something very wrong with the main pipe that brings water from your city supply line to your home. This is very urgent, and you need a plumber in Clifton, NJ right away.
Leaks
If a single fixture is causing a dribble, you may be able to shut off the water supply to that particular spot and wait a day or two for a plumber. But even a leak that doesn’t spray like a geyser can be an emergency. If you see a spreading water stain on a wall or ceiling, or a main pipe has a break or a disconnected fitting, you might not be able to stop it without using the main water shut-off and cutting off the water supply to your whole home. (You will find this indoors, on the wall facing the direction your water comes from, usually the side of your home facing the street, often in the basement.) If water is continuing to leak, or you’ve put yourself in a position of having no water in order to stop the leak, it’s definitely a plumbing emergency.
Frozen Pipes
During cold snaps in the middle of winter, the water can freeze in pipes that are close to the exterior of a home and not well insulated. This will prevent the water from flowing, but it’s a much more serious problem than that. The force of water expanding as it freezes is powerful enough to crack streets and sidewalks, and it can definitely rupture your pipes. You need a plumber right away. Don’t try to thaw the pipe yourself! The drastic shift in temperature could actually worsen the cracking.
Sewer Problems
Overflowing toilet? All the drains in the house clogged at once? Foul odors rising from your drains? These all point to a major sewer issue. If sewage backs up into your drains or overflows a toilet, or if you breathe toxic sewer gasses because of a vent problem, your health could be in serious jeopardy. Don’t delay, and don’t DIY. This is an emergency for a qualified plumber to handle.
Contact MarGo Plumbing Heating Cooling Inc. today to get prompt assistance with your plumbing emergency!