Feb 16, 2017
What to Expect When You Need Emergency Plumbing Service
Your toilet clogs 20 minutes before you’re hosting movie night for your friends. Your in-laws are staying the weekend and the hot water goes out. You walk into the laundry room and find an inch of water on the floor.
You can plan for a lot of things in life, but a plumbing emergency is not one of them. Unfortunately, plumbing emergencies seem to arrive at the worst times, making it hard to just go with the flow.
Common plumbing emergencies
Chris Blevins, residential operations manager at CroppMetcalfe, says that the most common serious plumbing issues CroppMetcalfe plumbers see include:
- Leaking or burst pipes
- Malfunctioning water heaters
- Malfunctioning garbage disposals
- Leaking faucets
- Malfunctioning sump pumps
If you’re handy, you might attempt DIY repairs on a leaking faucet, clogged toilet or broken garbage disposal. Remember to turn off the water main before tackling a DIY plumbing repair, and keep a plumber’s number handy in case things go awry.
You should always call a professional plumber if you don’t feel comfortable fixing the issue yourself. Another good rule to follow: leave the plumbing services to the pros when a plumbing repair involves replacing pipes or doing any work to the water heater or sump pump.
Calling a plumber
When you call a plumber for emergency plumbing services, Blevins recommends asking these two questions:
- Do you charge emergency rates?
- Should I turn off my main water shut-off valve?
Knowing whether you will be hit with an emergency fee can help you prepare for this unexpected plumbing bill. Turning off the water often keeps serious plumbing problems from getting worse.
When you are dealing with a professional plumbing company, you should expect a uniformed technician who will be able to present a business card upon arrival. Your plumber should be upfront about the pricing and seek your approval before doing any work.
All CroppMetcalfe repair work is quoted in writing prior to being performed. Unless special parts are needed, Blevins says most plumbers can do same-day repairs within an hour or two.
Avoiding plumbing problems
To avoid major plumbing issues, have a plumbing inspection conducted annually. With our Preferred Service Policy, we provide one maintenance inspection per year, in which our technicians check the following:
- Dye testing of water closets for leaks
- Check household water pressure
- Placement of valve guides
- A maintenance snaking of a tub/shower drain
- Visual inspection of all exposed plumbing
At these appointments we advise you of any needed repairs, and preferred customers receive a 10 percent discount on all plumbing repairs. A properly operating plumbing system helps reduce plumbing emergency issues.
If an emergency does happen, our Preferred Service Policy customers receive priority status for all service calls and will not be charged overtime rates for the emergency service. Contact us today if you would like to begin a Preferred Service Policy. We promise to go beyond the call of duty.