SEO Description: Here are the 8 most common plumbing emergencies you can face at home, and why you should call in emergency plumbers from Rennils for help!
Introduction
With modern times, comes modern plumbing. And with this modern plumbing comes a more comfortable lifestyle. But, how comfy is too comfy? We’ve become so used to modern plumbing, that we never really expect anything to go wrong.. And then it does, and we have no idea how to fix it! Oftentimes, it's hard to even identify the root cause of the plumbing issue. The minute your plumbing fails, you’re reminded just how lucky you are to have it. There are so many potential issues you could face with your plumbing, and we’re here to explain the 8 most common plumbing emergencies to you. This will help you identify the root cause of your issue, and teach you when it’s time to call in an emergency plumber! Here at Rennils, we have emergency plumbers ready to help you 24/7. So, read on to learn more about your home’s plumbing, the 8 most common plumbing emergencies, and when it’s time to call us in for emergency plumbing issues!
1. Clogged Toilets One of the most common plumbing emergencies is a clogged toilet. There’s nothing grosser and more frustrating than a toilet that simply refuses to flush. You’ve just done your business, and you go to flush the toilet, but the bowl just fills up with more water and doesn’t drain out. It can be quite the harrowing situation, especially if you’re not alone in the house and this is the only toilet at home. This can lead to some pretty embarrassing situations. But, worry not, because it’s pretty simple to understand why your toilet is clogged. Toilets usually get clogged because there’s something in the pipes that is causing the clog. It could be large amounts of toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, or the waste on its own. The more you flush, the more the contents of the toilet are likely to spill out onto your bathroom floor. This is seriously unsanitary and can cause actual health issues if not dealt with soon. It’s also an easy fix. All you have to do is use a plunger to try and loosen up the clog. And if that doesn’t help, you probably have to call in an emergency plumber to unclog your toilet.
2. Clogged Sinks / Tubs Sinks are such an integral part of our lives nowadays. We’re sure you can’t imagine life without a sink to wash your hands in. This is why it’s extremely frustrating when your sink doesn’t drain. When this happens, you can’t wash your hands or utensils in peace and the water just sits there and stagnates. This can also lead to health problems if left unattended. Not to mention, without a sink, where will you brush your teeth or wash your hands? It’s a serious inconvenience. When left as is, the water will most likely spill out onto the floor and mess up the rest of your house. This can also lead to serious water damage. You should never leave a clogged sink unattended. Try unclogging the drain by using a clothes hanger or pipe cleaner. You can even use your fingers if the clog is visible and reachable. If this doesn’t help, chances us, you’re in for a plumbing emergency and will have to call in a plumber!
3. Burst Pipes Your pipes are strong and manage to take in and let out water on a daily basis. This includes hot water too, so you know that pipes are very resilient. But, what happens when your pipes break/burst? A huge amount of water will come pouring out and go to waste! Not only is this a waste of water, but it can also lead to some serious water damage to your house, which is really expensive to deal with. Pipes normally burst when they’re very old, but it can even happen due to cold weather. When it’s very cold outside, the water inside your pipes can freeze and make the pipes brittle and susceptible to cracks and breaking. If you want to prevent your pipes from breaking, never let the temperature in your home go below freezing. Also, make sure to check your pipes every now and then to make sure they’re still in good use and can handle regular water flow. It’s easy to prevent a burst pipe, but when it happens, there really isn’t much you can do by yourself. You could try to patch it up using industrial-grade tape, but that’s just a temporary fix. If your pipes burst, consider it a plumbing emergency and call a plumber as soon as you can to avoid further damages!
4. Lack of Hot Water
It’s very convenient to have hot water in your house. It’s hard to imagine a time without hot water for your bath, isn’t it? We’re sure you don’t really enjoy cold showers (unless it’s extremely hot outside, and out of choice). When it’s out of your hands, and you’re forced to take cold showers because your water just won’t heat, that’s another story altogether. Especially during the winters, a cold shower can be excruciating. Apart from just cold showers, when there’s no hot water in your home, it affects your washing machine and dishwasher as well. It may even lead to damages which can be very expensive to fix.
Before it gets to that point, why not just fix it at the root? If you’ve noticed that you haven’t had hot water for a few days, you should really check your water heater. Your heating mechanism could be broken, there could be sludge buildup inside the water tank, or your dip tube could be broken. There’s not much you can do by yourself, unless you’re familiar with plumbing and know how to fix these issues on your own. If you have no experience in the field, however, then it’s definitely time to call an emergency plumber.
Another thing to pay close attention to is leaks in your water heater. If you notice a leak, that means a bigger problem is about to come by. Tackled the issue before it grows by calling in an emergency plumber.
5. Failed Sump Pump Sump pumps are common in homes that have basements. They’re basically like rain shelters that prevent your home from flooding in case of heavy rains. The reason they’re usually in basements is that basements are below surface level, so they’re extremely likely to flood in emergency situations. Like all things, your sump pump can very easily fail if it’s overworked. It can even get a stuck switch too. A common cause of sump pumps not working is debris build-up preventing it from spinning. This is extremely dangerous because if there’s a storm and your sump pump isn’t working, it could lead to some serious flooding in your home. This leads to severe water damage that can be extremely expensive. There isn't much you can do for your sump pump by yourself. So, if you suspect that your sump pump isn’t functioning right, don’t wait for a storm to flood your house! Call a plumber immediately.
6. Your Toilet Thinks It’s An Athlete There is nothing more annoying than a toilet that thinks it’s a marathon runner. No matter what you do, your flush just won’t stop and your toilet won’t stop running. Although this doesn’t render your toilet unusable, it sure does waste a lot of water. Apart from being terrible for the environment, this will also lead to very expensive bills. So, why spend a lot on bills when you can just call in an emergency plumber to fix the problem itself. Getting the issue fixed is much less expensive than the potential bills you’ll have to pay if you leave your toilet like this. If you think you can resolve the issue yourself, try opening up the tank of your toilet and fixing it. But, we’d suggest leaving this to professionals.
7. Sewage Backup Sewage backups are a very smelly situation. In fact, you’ll probably be able to smell this issue before seeing it. The sewer is where all the waste is discarded once it’s flushed. When your sewage system is backed up, the waste doesn’t leave your home, it just comes back in. This isn’t just a smelly and ugly situation, it can also pose some serious health risks to you and everyone in your home. There’s a reason waste is waste, so you definitely don’t want it coming back into your home and getting you sick. If you notice your sewage backing up, DO NOT ignore it! Call an emergency plumber immediately, and then clean up with lots of bleach to avoid health risks.
8. Big Leaks
Small leaks are easy to ignore for a few days. But, if you have a big leak in your home, you run the risk of wasting a lot of money on bills. If you notice yourself having to take out buckets of water from your home daily, all from the same leak, this means that the leak is no longer a small issue. It needs to be dealt with immediately. For a temporary fix, you can use industrial grade tape to hold in the leak. But, this is only temporary, and most big leaks can’t be contained by tape.
If you have a big leak, don’t think too much, and just call in an emergency plumber! You’d much rather spend money on fixing an issue, than waste buckets of water daily and pay hefty amounts in bills.
Conclusion
Now you know about the 8 most common plumbing emergencies you may face at home. Though a few of them are a simple fix, it’s always advisable to call in professional help. If you’re looking for emergency plumbers that are there for you 24/7, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Here at Rennils, we believe in quality work. So, when you avail our services, you don’t have to worry about spending money on the same issue in the future.
So, give us a call and we’ll be able to fight off all your plumbing emergencies and prevent future ones as well!
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