Whether you own a home or rent a home to tenants, we know the maintenance that goes into taking care of one’s home. The list can be long, and expenses can add up, so you may try performing repairs on your own, even when it comes to plumbing.
While there are some things you can do without calling a plumbing company, such as trying to fix the water pressure when it is low by cleaning the showerhead, or tightening the trap under your kitchen or bathroom sinks to stop the leaking, there are other situations in which you are better off leaving to the professionals.
Keep reading here for information on when you should call a plumber to take care of a plumbing problem.
1.You are Experiencing a Rapid Water Supply Line Leak
So we started off with the most extreme and least common plumbing nightmare. We hope you never find yourself in a situation like this, but you will definitely want a plumber to rush to your home in the instance that a water line bursts and causes major flooding throughout the house.
But try not to panic while you wait for the plumber to arrive at your house. If you can, look for any intermediary water supply cut-off valves that would be near the leak. If you spot it, you may be able to find a knife (ball valve) or knob-like cut-off valve that shuts off water to just the leak but not to the whole house. If all else fails, find your home’s main water shut-off valve and turn that off. After shutting off the water, you’ll still want that plumber to get to your house and help.
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There is No Water in Your Home
Here we have the opposite problem from the first scenario. If you end up in the middle of a dilemma in which water stops flowing within your home, which is rare as it will usually be localized to one area like a bathroom, you’ll want to call a trusty plumber. However, it is important that you check all water outlets in the house to make sure none of them are in fact receiving water.
Keep in mind that if there is a problem with the water heater and hot water is no longer being delivered, the cold side is still operable. Still, if you are unable to get the water to run, that could mean you have a serious problem on your hands.
There are a few reasons for this, including the possibility that the buried water pipe leading from the water meter to your house has burst or has been severed, leading water away from your house, or the leak may be around the water meter.
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Low Water Pressure in Your Shower
Low water pressure. Some may call this first world problems, but once you have experienced good water pressure in the shower, you can never go back. Of course, it is not just a preference thing, it is also a good indicator that something is clogging up your pipes. If you went from having excellent water pressure in your house to having subpar water pressure, you should consider calling a plumber to find out what is going on with the plumbing, especially if you checked the showerhead and found nothing wrong with that.
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Rattling Sounds in Your Pipes
Believe it or not, your pipes should not make much noise other than the sound of rushing water. Should you hear a rattling sound coming from your pipes, especially right after you shut off a valve, it could be “water hammer.” This happens when the flow of water stops abruptly or changes direction, which then creates a shock wave that leads to banging noises and making loose pipes rattle.
The possible causes can be due to high water pressure or flooded air chambers in your plumbing system, typically seen in older homes. However, rattling noises can also be caused by poorly secured pipes.
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Constantly Clogged Toilet
Dealing with a clogged toilet every once in a while is not at all unusual. You may be accused of putting too much toilet paper in the toilet when you flush, but that may not be the case. Now, if it feels like you’re constantly using the plunger, there could be a bigger problem.
If it begins to affect other fixtures, that could just mean that you have a clogged sewer or backed-up septic system. So a phone call to your local plumber will be a good idea. They can bring their Advanced Equipment For Septic Pumping and fix the problem.
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It is Either a Sewer Line Leak or Gaseous Odors
Did you know that a broken or blocked sewer line can quickly make its way into your lawn in the form of slowly accumulating puddles or pools of smelly water or mushy soil? How does this get fixed? You would have to dig up the sewer line, find the broken or clogged sewer pipe, and fix or replace it. However, we would not recommend you try this at home as it can be tedious work.
Since the sewer line is the only line that carries all of your home’s wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers, tubs, dishwashers, and washing machines, your home cannot function well if there is an issue with it.
It is imperative then that you call a plumbing company to take care of this repair.
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Your Water Heater is Experiencing a Natural Gas Leak
If you believe there is a gas leak from any source, you will need to call 911 or the fire department and evacuate your house immediately. Only once you’re at a safe distance should you call your gas company.
When your home is safe to return to, you can investigate the source of the leak and call a plumber to fix a possible issue with your water heater. With natural gas build-up being extremely combustible, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you experience any number of these plumbing issues, we highly recommend you call professionals.