Over time, slow drains tend to become clogged. With a fully clogged drain, you have a true emergency on your hands. The water will stop draining entirely, and you’ll have standing water sitting in your sink. Pieces of food or other debris could be in the water as well. It might not seem serious, but it isn’t sanitary. If left untreated, the situation will only get worse. The foul odor is usually more than reason enough to warrant calling a plumber.
In addition to the obvious issue of standing water, a clogged sink puts significant pressure on your pipes. This could lead to leaking pipes, especially if the problem isn’t resolved quickly. A plumber can eliminate the clog and clear the pipes. When done properly and with the right equipment, this should keep your sink from clogging again in the near future.
Usually, your sump pump goes unnoticed. You typically don’t hear it running, and you probably only get it inspected once a year. This is pretty standard, but problems can arise unexpectedly. If your sump pump fails, the sump pit will eventually fill with water and start to overflow. If unnoticed for a period of time, this could soon lead to a flooded basement. Obviously, this means it’s time to call a plumber who can respond ASAP. A flooded basement can’t be ignored.
If you experience a hard freeze, you could end up dealing with a burst pipe. This isn’t entirely uncommon, but it’s something to take seriously. Water damage is likely to be a problem when you have a burst pipe. If left unremedied, it’ll only get worse. As soon as you notice a burst pipe, you should shut off the water and call your plumber. This is something that needs to be fixed quickly.
Hot water heater issues could be minor or quite serious. A puddle of water near your water heater probably isn’t anything horrible. It could be nothing more than a faulty rain valve. This is something that can be replaced easily enough. However, a water heater that’s leaking from the tank is a major concern. It’s likely due to sediment that has built up and caused your tank to rust. In this case, you can’t wait. Call your plumber and have them tend to your water heater immediately.
An overflowing toilet is perhaps the most obvious reason to call an emergency plumber. Minor clogs can often be handled with a plunger, but this isn’t always the case. If your toilet is overflowing, you don’t want to let it get even more out of hand or go untreated. Don’t go overboard with your plunger and think that a bit of tenacity is all it takes. The problem could be something more serious than a clog. Call you plumber and let them handle the situation from there.