At All City Plumbing, Air & Electrical, we provide emergency services and same-day appointments, so you have access to professional plumbing help when you need it most. We’ve all been in a situation where we needed immediate help with a system in our home, and knowing how to handle the issue and who to call can make all the difference in the world. Here are some tips for how to handle the issue until help arrives.
What Should I Do If I Have an Emergency Plumbing Leak?
Toilet Backup: When you have a backed-up toilet, it can be very scary from a hygiene standpoint. However, the occasional toilet overflow is to be expected, considering your toilet is one of the hardest working plumbing fixtures in most homes. The best course of action for a toilet backup is to address the clog before it has the chance to push wastewater into your home. Plunging a clog may temporarily stop a clog from pushing water back into your home, but it is not a long-term solution. Once you stop the overflow, you will need to contact a professional plumber to isolate the cause of the blockage and work to remove it.
Clogged Drain: A sink drain that is obstructed won’t allow water to flow through it, leading to a plumbing emergency. You can try addressing your clog with a plumbing snake or a plunger to try to dislodge the obstruction, but if these methods do not work you may need to call your plumber. Whatever you do, refrain from using DIY chemical treatments that can exacerbate the problem. Your sewer line could benefit from professional cleaning, which can remove the obstruction with minimal invasiveness.
Pipe Eruption: Pipe eruption is usually the result of a weak line unable to withstand the water flow pressure. Once the water flow reaches a level the pipe cannot sustain, the joints give way and erupt, causing a water breach. Water pressure can be a problem for other plumbing fixtures when water delivery under pressure can be too much for the system to handle. When the pipe fails while delivering water to a faucet or toilet, it can cause a rupture. While a pipe eruption is not a silent event, it most often goes unnoticed until there’s evidence of water. The water damage can be severe depending on how long the water flow went unnoticed.
Water Heater Failure: Several causes can lead to a failed water heater. Erosion, rust, and water pressure are just a few. If the water heater is compromised, leaks can materialize around the tank leading to spillage from more than one location. As the system deteriorates, the weakened water heater can completely fail. A contributing factor to a failed water heater is infrequent maintenance. Most issues of water heater failure can be prevented with annual maintenance.
Sewer Line Failure: When your sewer lines experience a backup, the water going into your home and the wastewater being are compromised. There are tell-tale signs of sewer line failures, like bubbling toilets, drainage issues in more than one location, and bad odors like raw sewage near your fixtures. Sewer line failures can be caused by obstructions caused by hair, grease, or other items introduced into the sewer system. If the system completely fails and backs up into the home, wastewater damage is a serious health concern. It’s important to get help fixing the issue before it reaches that level.
The Experts at All City Plumbers are Always Available to Help
If you find that you’re dealing with more than a couple of plumbing emergencies in a short period, they could be connected. A professional can inspect your system to help determine the level of your plumbing issues and develop a repair plan. Contact our team of plumbing professionals at (909) 552-7550 for more information about our products and services.