Last month, we discussed the importance of knowing when to call in a professional plumber. But…. do you know the best time to call an emergency plumber?
If you come home to find four inches of standing water in your home, chances are that you will have the urge to rush and call in an emergency plumber. However, not every instance of a plumbing issue is the time to call for emergency service. Emergency service is much more costly and if it is a more minor issue you may be able to wait and save yourself some money.
Consider the following questions before deciding whether or not you need an
emergency plumber. How much water is it? Is it gushing or is it just a drip? If the water is gushing from a source such as a busted waterline, then the first thing that you need to do is simply cut off your main water supply valve. This will stop the water from coming out and you can simply call and request that a plumber come and explore what caused the gush to begin with. If the issue is simply water dripping from a pipe or a ceiling, then an easy solution is to just place something to catch the water under the leak and you can wait until the next day for a plumber. The time for an emergency plumber is when you have a large amount of water leaking and you are not able to cut off the water supply to the leak. The last thing you need or want is for your home to flood. If you are not able to shut off the water or if the valve itself is the cause of the leak, then it is definitely time to call a plumber for emergency service. If the plumbing issue is one that is causing sewage to back up into your home then you would also want to call in an emergency plumber due to sanitation issues.
When dealing with a plumbing issue, take the time to question whether it is in fact a real plumbing emergency. By waiting until the next day, you may save yourself up to 50% on your repair bill.