When do I need to call an emergency plumber?
Sometimes it's difficult to work out what constitutes a plumbing emergency and what can wait until the next day for attention. Often things go wrong in the middle of the night and quick decisions have to be made about what to do and who to contact.
Here are some common plumbing problems and what to do if they occur in your home.
Burst pipes
Water from a burst pipe can very quickly damage flooring, walls and cabinets. Many things can cause a pipe to rupture including age, accidental impact, faulty workmanship or low-quality plumbing fixtures.
If you discover a blown pipe at home turn the water off at the mains tap (usually located next to your meter) as soon as possible and call a plumber. The pipe will need to be repaired before the water can be restored to your home.
No hot water
No hot water for a day is manageable in the middle of summer but once the weather cools down hot water becomes a necessity. The cause of your lack of hot water could be any number of things.
Check the hot water systems power supply. (Is there gas or electricity to the rest of the house? A basic point but worth checking before you call the plumber.) And contact your plumber.
Water leak
Water leaking, regardless of where it's coming from, is bad news. Sometimes tap washers fail, hot water storage tanks corrode, or drains crack causing a surprise leak.
A trickle can very quickly become a torrent so turn the mains tap off as soon as you can and get in contact with an emergency plumber to avoid damage to your home and excessive water wastage.
Gas leak
Leaking gas is very dangerous. If you smell gas or suspect that a leak, turn the gas off at your home's main gas valve immediately, open all the doors and windows to allow fresh air into your home, and call a gas fitter.
Gas is extremely flammable and can cause asphyxiation in confined spaces. Never use electrical equipment, lights, matches, lighters or any type of naked flame around a possible gas leak .
For more information on what to do if you have a gas leak - Who to contact if there's a gas leak.
Backed up toilet or sewage appearing anywhere it shouldn't
A healthy plumbing system will efficiently get rid of the waste from your home but occasionally blockages in the drains can stop this from happening and the result can be very messy. Definitely get a plumber in as soon as you can for this issue.
Here are some tips to stop this from happening - How to prevent clogged drains
Not sure? Call the plumber anyway
If in doubt call and speak to your local on-call plumber about the problem, often they can talk you through measures to keep things going (or not) until business hours if it's not urgent. Alternatively, if the problem needs immediate attention they'll be around to fix the issue there and then.
