Plumbing emergencies are among the worst types of home emergencies. They can cause water damage due to flooding, stop basic daily tasks, and lead to unsanitary conditions. When you encounter a plumbing issue that needs to be solved ASAP, you can feel less tense when you know you have a quality plumber who offers emergency service only a phone call away.
We’ve handled almost every type of plumbing emergency in our decades in business, and we can tell you plenty of bizarre stories. But in this post, we’re going to focus on the most common plumbing emergencies that may affect your house.
ONE: Loss of water
Suddenly, no water flows from any tap in the house. This is always startling when it happens without warning (such as a city notification of a temporary shut-off). Before you reach out for a plumber, check with neighbors to find out if they’ve lost their water as well, indicating the problem is municipal. If you can’t account for it, you may have trouble in the water main, which is definitely an issue you’ll need professionals to fix.
TWO: Overflowing toilet
Although this can cause a moment of panic when it occurs, you can stop the overflow at the feed valve behind the toilet. If there’s no feed valve, you can cut off the water flow by opening up the tank and rigging up the chain. Once you’ve stopped the immediate issue of water overflow, call for a plumber and start to put down towels to absorb the water on the floor. This helps to prevent water damage.
THREE: Burst pipe
This is a problem that can strike in winter because of pipe freeze. The real danger is when the ice starts to thaw in the pipe, since it leads to a spike in pressure in the pipes. When you discover a burst pipe, shut off the water main to the house (the shut-off valve is usually located near the water meter), put a bucket below the pipe to catch the remaining water, and call a plumber. We also recommend shutting off electricity to avoid electrical shocks.
FOUR: Fully clogged drains
A clogged drain in a single sink usually isn’t an emergency. But a clogged kitchen sink or a clogged shower in the master bathroom can be. The reason we want to draw attention to this problem is that homeowners often react to this by pouring chemical drain cleaners down the clogged drain, and this can be disastrous for the drainpipes. If you can’t clear a clog with a basic plunger or drain snake, call for emergency plumbing.
Any plumbing trouble that you think needs to be solved immediately counts as an emergency, so don’t try to second guess yourself.
You can trust us to handle your plumbing in Media, PA any time of the day or night. We have been in business for more than forty years and aim to deliver 100% satisfaction to our customers on every job.
Murphy’s Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning believes in “Integrity Before Profit!” When you need emergency plumbing, call us 24/7.
