Your plumbing system acts like you sometimes—it burps, gurgles, and gets clogged up. Usually, you can ignore most of the noises your body makes. A pat on the back, change in habits, or a laxative takes care of the sound—and the clog.
Trapped air is a primary culprit when it comes to noise, both in the human body and a plumbing system. It doesn’t usually mean you have a severe medical problem—or a plumbing emergency.
There are times when your pipes let you know they need immediate help. We can’t advise on personal emergencies, but we can offer tips on how to know when you have an urgent plumbing problem.
Take a minute and read our short guide to real plumbing crises and how you can avoid them.
Broken Plumbing Pipes
Unless you live in a climate where temperatures drop below freezing, you don’t worry much about broken pipes.
Cold weather isn’t the only cause of broken plumbing pipes. Every year cities around the world deal with heat-related water pipe bursts. You can often tell you’re dealing with a frozen pipe because you’ll have sketchy or no water service.
Detection of broken pipes is more difficult during the warmer months. One sign is a stream of lukewarm or even hot water when you turn on your cold water faucet. When this happens, you may already have a leak. Consider it a plumbing emergency!
More Than an Ordinary Clog
A little work with a plunger and, most homeowners can handle a clogged toilet without assistance.
When you’ve plunged the system and can’t break up the clog, take a short break. You don’t want to go overboard. Overzealous plunging can damage your plumbing system.
Persistent clogs indicate a deeper problem than a broken toilet. Instead, you could have a more serious issue in your sewer line. It’s time to call an emergency plumber!
That Leaky Old Water Heater
The discovery of a puddle near your water heater may or not require an SOS to your plumber.
You could have a faulty drain valve. A handy DIY aficionado can replace the part. If you’re not comfortable working on your water heater, request a non-emergency visit.
Water leaking from the tank is another story. You likely have sediment buildup inside the tank, and it’s rusted from the inside out. You have an emergency and need your plumber!
A Plumbing Emergency in the Sewer System
You’ll know it when you have a problem with your sewer system.
First, you’ll notice multiple clogged drains. Your toilets may gurgle. You might even witness water coming up through your basement floor drain.
The smell of sewage will overwhelm you. A sewer system backup isn’t for the weak of heart. Not a crisis easily solved by the average DIYer, sewer backups need the immediate attention of a plumber!
Enjoy Our Post on Plumbing Problems?
No one wants to call their plumber in the middle of the night if it’s not a true plumbing emergency. Knowing which plumbing issues need help ASAP can save you precious time and money.
How do you avoid emergencies? Pay attention to the little things and schedule yearly plumbing inspections.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, check out our archives. We’ve put together even more articles about caring for your home.