When Is a Plumbing Emergency an Emergency?

Plumbing problems seem to happen during the most inopportune times. If this happens, you may be faced with a choice of calling a plumber immediately, or just turning off the affected area’s shut-off valve and having it fixed when it’s more convenient. In today’s post, A-1 Comfort Care Heating, Cooling & Plumbing shares a quick guide to identifying true plumbing emergencies.

Characteristics of a Plumbing Emergency

One or more of the following characteristics may require calling a plumber as soon as possible:

• It puts your home at risk of flooding damage. If the situation involves water spewing everywhere, it could be putting your home at risk of flooding damage. A burst pipe or a failed sump pump would necessitate a quick call to an emergency plumbing service, as it could make the difference between simple flooring repairs and a complete home restoration. It could also increase the risk of electrical shock if the house’s power isn’t shut down immediately.
• It affects the only fixture of its kind in the house. If you only have one toilet in the house and it’s clogged or overflowing, it could become a major problem for your household if it’s not fixed soon.
• It may affect your use of certain appliances. Appliances like dishwashers and hot water heaters rely on a steady supply of water, so a plumbing issue that affects the water mains will need to be fixed as soon as possible.
• It could result in a sewer back-up. In addition to the resulting mess, a sewer back-up is a significant health risk that your household shouldn’t be exposed to.

Non-Emergency Situations

Not all plumbing issues demand immediate attention. Some of these include small leaks that can be temporarily fixed using leak repair tape, and outlying parts of the plumbing that can be shut off with a water valve. If you have two of the same fixture — for example, if your house has a powder room that has a perfectly functioning toilet — you can put off calling a plumber until it’s more convenient to do so.

Even without a plumbing emergency, it helps to have a reliable plumber’s phone number just in case. Our team at A-1 Comfort Care Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is ready to help with plumbing emergencies. Give us a call at (732) 578-0379, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.