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Making sure the plumbing system in your home is running right can be a lot of work, especially when you run into unexpected problems. As a homeowner, the best thing you can do is take stock of any potential plumbing problems and call a plumber when you think it might be necessary. However, sometimes you’ve got a plumbing emergency on your hands that requires the help of an emergency plumber. If you’re not sure whether or not you need a plumber to fix a problem at your Heath, TX, home, here are some basics you should know about plumbing emergencies.
Burst Pipes
Perhaps the most common plumbing emergency is a burst pipe. While you might not think you’re at risk for burst pipes because you live in Texas, it doesn’t take extremely cold temperatures to burst pipes. Even worse, you might have exposed pipes you don’t even know about.
Burst pipes are generally caused by a pipe freezing, breaking and then thawing out. When the water inside a pipe freezes, it expands to the point where the pipe can’t contain it, which cracks the pipe. When the water thaws out again, it begins to spray out of the spot where the pipe burst. This is a huge problem because it can cause massive water damage and cause a huge increase in your water bill.
The good news about burst pipes is that there are ways to prevent them. If you don’t want to end up having to call an emergency plumber, you need to make sure all your pipes are properly insulated. If you’ve got pipes running through a separate garage or shed or in an exterior wall with poor insulation, you should have somebody insulate them or install heat cable to prevent them from freezing.
Sewage
If you ever think you might be dealing with sewage, that’s a good sign that you should call an emergency plumber instead of handling the problem on your own. While you should never deal with your own plumbing repairs and maintenance, it’s even more important to avoid doing so when it could put your health at risk. A professional can deal with a sewage backup and sanitize your home so you’re not putting yourself at risk.
While it can be hard to determine exactly where a leak is coming from, the odor is a good place to start. If you’ve got water backing up from a drain or pooling up in a fixture and there’s a strong odor of sewage, there’s a good chance that’s a sewage backup. Even if it isn’t, it’s a good idea to call an emergency plumber and have them check it out just in case.
Standing Water
Standing water is another thing you need to watch out for when it comes to plumbing emergencies. While it might not seem like the biggest plumbing problem, standing water can create a lot of safety hazards in addition to causing a lot of damage to your Heath, TX, home. If you’ve got standing water in any of the rooms or fixtures in your home, you should call an emergency plumber as soon as possible.
One of the biggest problems with standing water is that you never know what it is. In some cases, standing water may be a result of a leak in a water line. Sometimes, standing water can be caused by a clogged drain. In the worst cases, standing water is a result of a sewage backup which can cause major health problems if you expose yourself to it.
Another thing you have to worry about when it comes to standing water is the fact that it could create an electrical hazard. If the standing water in a room is touching an outlet or wires in the wall, it could either cause problems with your electrical system or create a fire hazard.
Structural Damage
In any case where there’s the potential for structural damage, you should call an emergency plumber to have them get things fixed up. Even a small leak can cause quite a bit of damage when you consider what it can do to the drywall and other building materials in your home. The key to preventing severe structural damage is getting leaks and other plumbing problems fixed as soon as possible.
If you want to do your best to prevent structural damage and calls to an emergency plumber, you can have a leak detection system installed. These smart leak detectors send you an alert when there’s a leak detected somewhere in your system. Many of the newer leak detection systems can even tell you where the leak is so you can get it fixed easily.
Shutting Off Water
If there’s one thing you do when you have a plumbing emergency, you need to shut off the water. Turning off the water as soon as you notice a burst pipe or leak can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in damage, and it’s easy to do. All you have to do is figure out where your main water shutoff valve is so you know how to shut your water off in case of an emergency. If you’re not sure where your shutoff is, have somebody show you before you have to call an emergency plumber.
Plumbing Made Easy
Dealing with a plumbing emergency is a lot of work, but it’s a lot easier if you know what you’re doing. When it comes to plumbing emergencies and plumbing problems in general, a little bit of preparation goes a long way.
Whether you need an emergency plumber or you’re simply dealing with a minor plumbing problem, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North East Dallas can help. Next time you’ve got a plumbing emergency or any type of plumbing problem, give bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North East Dallast a call at (972) 483-2583.
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