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Plumbing emergencies are always stressful, and many homeowners in Heath, TX don’t know what to do in a crisis. When you discover flooding caused by a burst pipe or water overflowing from your toilet, it’s easy to lose your cool. However, acting quickly while you wait for an emergency plumber to arrive can minimize damage to your home and keep costs to a minimum. So, what are the most common plumbing emergencies, and how do you handle them?
1. Overflowing Toilet
An overflowing toilet, or one that runs constantly, is one of the most common plumbing emergencies. If you don’t act quickly, you may end up with sewage or waste pouring onto your washroom floor, which is both unpleasant and hazardous to your family’s health. Sometimes, it’s as simple as unblocking the toilet yourself with a plunger. If this doesn’t work or there’s water gushing over the rim of the toilet, you need to act quickly.
The first thing you should do when you realize your toilet is overflowing is to stop any more water from flowing into the tank and making the issue worse. Toilets have a shut-off valve behind the base, and you can turn it off by twisting it clockwise. Then, call an emergency plumber to fix the issue and prevent it from recurring.
2. Burst Pipes
If a pipe bursts inside your home, you could quickly find yourself with a flooding situation on your hands. Water can cause a lot of damage to the ceilings, walls, and floors of your home, so you should turn off your water supply immediately. Most homes in Heath, TX have a stop-cock either outside where the mains water flows into the property or on the water meter. Look for a small concrete or metal box if you’re not sure where your meter is.
Trying to repair or unblock a burst pipe yourself could cause further damage, so this is a job for an emergency plumber. While you wait, it’s a good idea to mop up as much of the water as you can to prevent damage to your home, placing buckets underneath the leak if the water is still flowing. Move valuables away from the flooded area to protect them. Even better, try to totally clear the area of furniture and other objects to give your plumber easy access to the leak so they can fix it promptly.
3. Septic Tank Leak
Standing water around your septic tank is a classic sign of a problem with your sewage system. This isn’t an issue you should ignore, as leaving it could cause more damage to your plumbing and require expensive repairs. Sewage is toxic to your health, so you should never try to repair a septic tank leak yourself. Instead, call an experienced plumber as soon as you notice a problem developing to get your sewage system up and running again.
4. Broken or Leaking Water Heater
Most homeowners give little thought to their water heater until something goes wrong. However, finding yourself suddenly without hot water or central heating can be an emergency, especially if it happens in the winter. Furthermore, leaking water heaters can be dangerous as they run on an electricity supply, putting you at risk of receiving an electric shock. For this reason, you should never try to rectify a leaking water heater yourself.
The most obvious sign of a malfunctioning water heater is a sudden lack of hot water, although you may also hear strange clunking noises coming from the unit or notice water pooling underneath. It’s essential that you act quickly to prevent expensive or irreparable damage to your heater.
First, make the area safe by switching off the electricity supply to the unit. It’s also sensible to switch off the water supply at the shut-off valve, especially if the heater is leaking. Use a mop or old towels to soak up any pooled water and call a plumber for assistance.
6. Broken Sump Pump
If your sump pump malfunctions, you can check the screen before calling an emergency plumber. Simply cleaning away any dirt or debris is often enough to get things working again if a clogged screen was blocking the impeller’s movement. However, if this doesn’t work, the problem may be more complicated. The unit may not be drawing enough energy to function properly, have a fault with the float switch, or be switching itself off due to overheating. The only way to know for sure and get your system working properly again is to call a plumber.
7. Gas Leaks
A gas leak is one of the most serious potential plumbing issues in your home because accumulated gas could catch fire or explode. If you smell gas in your home, you should turn off the main gas valve to stop gas levels from rising any further. Then, evacuate all people and pets from your home while you wait for an emergency plumber. The emergency plumber you use should be trained and experienced in dealing with gas line leaks and repairs so you can be sure that it’s safe to return to your home. Your plumber will check the safety of your gas appliances to help you avoid more leaks in the future.
Call in a Trusted Emergency Plumber
Although there are steps you can take in a plumbing emergency to minimize damage to your home and keep yourself and your family safe, all the situations we’ve described in this article require an emergency plumber. Fixing a plumbing emergency yourself could cause more damage to your property or even endanger your life.
It’s always wise to have the number of a trusted local emergency plumber to hand so you know who to call if things go wrong. Our friendly team at bluefrog Plumbing and Drain of North East Dallas are always on hand to help in an emergency, so call us today so we can get your plumbing system up and running again.
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