What Is Considered A Plumbing Emergency?

what is considered a plumbing emergency

The plumbing system of your property can encounter various scenarios that can be termed as a plumbing emergency. But exactly when you need help from an emergency plumber in Brookings, Oregon? 

A lower supply of water from your shower can cause inconvenience, but you can wait for working hours to reduce expenses! What about a slow leak, backed-up sewer lines, etc.? If you don’t act quickly,  it can lead to significant property damages. But how can you distinguish between the need for calling an emergency plumber or holding off until business hours?

Here is some general information regarding what is considered a plumbing emergency and a list of some of the general plumbing emergency examples that may prove useful to you to anticipate the need of calling a plumbing contractor. 

What are plumbing emergencies issues?

Plumbing emergency is defined as a health issue that is caused by the failure of some part of your plumbing system. Emergencies generally pick the worst time to occur. The most common emergencies are in the toilet, bathtub, and kitchen sink. Oftentimes, it is caused by clogs or leaks. Sometimes things like burst pipes or broken heaters can cause an emergency.

If you’re experiencing one of these, contact our emergency plumbers in Brookings Oregon for instant repair or installation.

Is a water leak a plumbing emergency?

A water leak can be significant in the damage it inflicts if not detected and repaired. When a leak is left unattended, it can turn into a large problem that is much more difficult to fix. 

Not all water leaks are considered as an emergency situation. The size of the leak determines whether there is a need for a quick repair or not. If you notice that the leakage has expanded, you should call a plumber immediately without thinking too much.

However routine plumbing inspections should be done by professionals who are licensed in their trade. This will help safeguard your property from such emergencies. 

How do you know a pipe burst?

A pipe burst can lead to loss of gallons of water within a few minutes, which can cause significant damage to your property.

The best way to know if your pipes have burst is by noticing major changes in the flow. When it is flowing normally, the pressure should not change. If you notice that the pressure has changed, there may be a leak somewhere in your system. The sound of gurgling, and running water also indicates the possibility of a ruptured pipe. 

Other signs that indicate a possible break are seeing brown or rusty stains on walls, floors, and ceilings; sudden spikes in its usage; high noise levels coming from either outside or inside the house; and an extremely strong odour coming from within the home.

An emergency can occur at any point time, including on weekends and in the middle of the night. After you encounter a plumbing emergency, the first question that might come to your mind is,” How can I find the right emergency plumber near me? Who can quickly visit your property and solve the issue?

Picking up the right professional is not as easy as it sounds as not every company that offers 24-hour emergency services provides quality services. You should look for those who provide a wide range of services as you can never predict which part of your plumbing system needs repair. Also, look for local plumbers as they have a better understanding of the local codes and rules of your area and can visit your property quickly.

Our plumbers meet all the criteria for being the right emergency plumbers for your Brookings, Oregon home. In the past, they have helped the people of Brookings to recover from different plumbing emergencies

Plumbing emergency examples

A plumbing emergency can be both a residential and commercial plumbing issue. It’s important for property owners in Brookings to know which issues require emergency plumbing service. We have prepared a list of six plumbing emergency examples that home and business owners often face: 

1. Water leaks

A water leak is when pipe bursts or faucet leaks and there is water just running out into the house.

They are hard to detect until it causes significant damage to your property. It can cause significant damage to your property, as well as create serious health hazards.  Leaks can also affect the electrical wiring of your property, which can cause short circuits

The first thing you should do when you suspect a leak is to shut the main valve or call in a professional if you’re unsure how to do this yourself. Then, contact a plumber to for leak detection and repair before any more damage is done.

2. Ruptured pipes

When a pipe has burst or ruptured, it becomes a matter of concern.  If you see your water leak from a pipe, get it fixed as soon as possible because if you don’t, there could be more damage done to your foundation or other parts of your house.

Pipes can rupture for a number of reasons, such as overextended or overused pipes, age, and use, as well as extreme weather conditions. When pipes rupture it is important to act quickly to prevent any water from spilling out and flooding your home or property. Shut off the supply in your home, take out the furniture and other items and then contact an emergency plumber to protect your family and property from the effects of water contamination. 

3. Overflowing toilet

An overflowing toilet can be terrible to deal with. Overflowing toilets are caused by clogs in pipes or other obstructions such as hair that can cause water to back up inside of them until they eventually overflow onto floors and furniture below them.

You can identify this problem by looking for toilet water spilling onto the floor. Using plungers can help remove some of these obstructions but when they do not work it is time to call a professional emergency plumber at once because if left untreated for too long your home will be flooded with unwanted sewage which will ruin everything from flooring to furniture inside your home.

To prevent it from getting worse, it is recommended to turn off the water supply of your toilet, before you reach out to any nearby plumber in your area.

4. Clogged drains

Clogged drains can be the result of a few different things: deodorizing products, grease, and hair. The most common cause of clogged drain is grease. Grease from cooking or eating can be washed down the sink in large quantities when food isn’t properly disposed of or left to cool before being discarded. These greasy substances accumulate at the bottom of your sink and eventually harden, making it difficult for water to pass through. 

It’s hard to prevent clogging, but you can take a few preventive steps such as trying to remove hair from the drain regularly, avoiding throwing wipes, and paper towels down the toilet, etc. 

Water flowing freely through a drain unclogged by a plumber

If you have tried multiple techniques but are still not able to unclog the drain, then you may need professional assistance as the issue might be very serious.

5. Broken water heater

The most common issue that homeowners face with hot water heaters is that water coming out is either too hot or too cold. 

There are many reasons why your water heater might not work properly. Some common issues include sediment buildup in the tank or heat exchanger coil; scale buildup on the heating elements; expansion tank leaking; thermostatic expansion valve malfunctioning; electronic control malfunctions; and gas leaks in burner assembly or pressure regulating valve assembly

If you notice these signs with your hot water heater, especially in winter, and you don’t have other sources of hot water, then you need water heater repair services from a plumber near you. Call a professional emergency plumber immediately who can solve this issue. 

6. Clogged sewer line

A clogged sewer line is a plumbing emergency because it prevents the flow of wastewater and sewage through the home. This can lead to backups, which can cause damage to property and result in health hazards, such as an overflowing toilet. Backed-up sewer also releases contaminants in the air which can cause vomiting, fever, etc. 

A clog might occur due to tree roots entering the sewer line or due to human error with kitchen appliances such as disposals or garbage disposals that have food particles in them. 

Tools like snake/auger are used to repair the sewer line.

If you start noticing that your backyard suddenly incorporates an awful smell, or if you have detected that it’s flooded, or gurgling noises are coming from your sewer line, then you should call our plumber at (888) 551-2056 immediately. 

Contact our emergency plumbers

Thanks for reading this article, hope now you have a better idea of what exactly is considered a plumbing emergency. Don’t hesitate to call in a professional when you face any such situations. Our friendly plumbers are ready to resolve your plumbing issue. You can rest assured that your business or home is in the right hands.

Call now or fill out the form below to get a quote!

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