Plumbing Emergency? Don’t Panic!

When plumbing emergencies occur, they always seem to occur quickly and without warning. Sometimes they even happen at the most inopportune times like the middle of the night, or just as you’re preparing to go to work in the morning. You know that if you call for regular service, you’ll expect a plumber to show up sometime between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, if not the following day. But you can’t wait that long! You need help right away.

The winter months are typically the worst seasons for plumbing problems. Weather and temperatures fluctuate all the time, and you may experience frozen pipes, sewer backups, or even gas leaks. If you don’t act fast, your whole house is in danger. But there’s no need to panic. Identify the problem and know whether it’s an emergency or not. Then follow the proper steps before you call a 24hr emergency plumber in Pittsburgh, PA.

What Exactly is an Emergency?

Not every plumbing issue is an emergency. If you can identify the problem, you’ll be able to know for sure. If you have boiling water that can cause burns, your water heater may need emergency service. If your faucet continues to discharge water after you’ve turned it off, your shut-off valve needs immediate attention. Frozen pipes are also dangerous because they can burst and cause a potential flood.

Likewise, if you can’t fix a clogged drain with a plunger, it could be a sign of a much larger issue. You could have multiple clogged drains or backed-up sewer system, which could potentially lead to flooding. If a plunger can’t fix an overflowing toilet either, it could spell an unsanitary disaster to your bathroom and even your nearby carpeting or flooring.

What to Do When Emergencies Strike

It’s essential to act quickly when an emergency occurs, but it’s also important to stay calm and follow these steps.

1. Turn off the water – Doing this requires knowing where your water main is, so make sure you know its location and turn it all the way off to stop water flow in your house.
2. Turn off the water heater – When turning off your water, there will be a rise in heat and pressure in your water heater. Turn it off before it bursts and causes more problems.
3. Drain the spigots – Open the valves outside your home to drain the pipes so that there’s no backflow of water into your house.
4. Clean up – As a temporary solution, use tape with rags to mend a pipe or a bucket to gather runoff from the leak and soak or mop up any standing water.

Now that you’ve minimized the impact of potential flooding, the final step is to call in a 24hr emergency plumber in Pittsburgh, PA to perform professional inspections, repairs, and replacements.

About This Author

Jammy Smith Joined: June 20th, 2018