All Homeowners Should Know These 4 Common Plumbing Emergencies

Most of the time, when people aim to own a home, they’re really just looking at the big picture, like handling the mortgage, or renovating. But with the ownership of your own building comes a lot of other added responsibilities. When things go wrong, for example, it’s now up to you to repair it.

This is especially true for those “invisible” parts of a home people take for granted like plumbing. While it’s true that plumbing doesn’t have a lot of moving parts, and mostly “just sits there” carrying water into and out of a home, that doesn’t mean it can’t break down. There are four types of emergency plumbing situations, in particular, you should keep watch for.

Fixture Leaks

This can happen to just about any fixture in the home, whether it’s the kitchen sink, the faucet for the bathtub, or even the showerhead in the stall.

It might not seem to be a big deal since it’s just a tiny amount of water that’s dripping, but given enough time, this can cost you money!

It’s a good thing then that it doesn’t cost a lot of money in order to fix such a problem. Most of the time when a leak occurs, it’s because either the washer or the O-ring has simply worn out from use. These small parts are both cheap to buy and easy to replace, so break out a wrench to take care of this problem.

Blockage in Your Drain

If you’ve ever had a slow drain, a blocked drain is what happens when you ignore the slow drain problem. What starts out as water emptying out slower than normal from a sink turns into water not emptying out at all.

Depending on where along a pipe the blockage occurs, this could affect one sink, or every sink on a floor! The best way to solve this issue is by mechanical means.

A plunger uses air pressure to suck a block out, while a plumber’s auger literally “breaks the dam” by pushing its way through. There are chemical solutions too, like drain cleaners, but take more care with this method; improper use of these corrosives can break old pipes, or even warp or melt modern plastic ones.

Overflowing Toilets

When you get a pipe that’s blocked at or near our toilet, this is especially risky. Human waste flowing back up out of a toilet and onto your bathroom floor is a health hazard thanks to all the contagions in the waste itself.

Be extra careful when cleaning this mess. In most cases, traditional mechanical solutions will solve the problem, but if something got flushed that shouldn’t have, like a toy or disposable diaper, you might need help from the pros.

A Burst Pipe

When a pipe bursts it can result in one of two outcomes. If the burst is in a water pipe, unless you shut off the flow of water in your home, water will now constantly leak out into the floor, wall or ceiling where the burst is located.

If the burst is in a drainage pipe, then it means all used water, including potentially toilet water, is “bleeding” into your home instead. This, unfortunately, may be a very serious, expensive emergency.

As long as you keep an eye on how your plumbing performs in your Abingdon, MD home, you’re in a good position. Once you spot early warning signs that things are going wrong, take action now, when it’s easier and less expensive.