4 Plumbing Emergencies Worth Your Attention

4 Plumbing Emergencies Worth Your Attention

24 February 2020
 Categories: , Blog


Plumbing emergencies can be catastrophic if not attended to in time. Knowing the common emergencies can help you anticipate and mitigate them when they arise. It's also important to note that sometimes thorough maintenance won't necessarily prevent occasional leaks or clogs.

Here are a few plumbing emergencies you can't ignore.

Leaky Toilets and Faucets

You better watch out for leaky toilets and faucets. If you ever wrestled with a leaky faucet that doesn't stop, you know how annoying the problem can be. These two plumbing problems don't just rack up your water bill, but they also cause rust and facilitate mould growth.

To avoid leaky faucets in your home, you should regularly replace the silicon washers. While you can do this on your own, the repairs may sometimes require the use of specialised tools.

If the leaks have been there for a while, the chances are that the valve seat may be corroded or worn, necessitating the need for more repairs that require the help of a professional plumber.

Overflowing Toilets

If you're constantly jiggling your toilet handle to make it behave after flushing, you should consider replacing its inner workings. The problem with a clogged toilet is that it quickly overflows when flushed. To avoid such cases in the future, don't flush any products aside from toilet paper.

Baby wipes, wrappers, tissues and paper towels can easily clog your plumbing, causing your toilet to overflow.

Leaky Pipes

Whether you get an unpleasant surprise when you reach under the sink or your regular inspection reveals a puddle under a pipe, leaks can be a nuisance. They mostly occur around joints, which is why commercial joint fitting compounds and fillers exist in the hardware store.

These compounds are a minor fix, as permanent plumbing repairs means replacing the pipes and its fittings. Simple fittings like replacing a leaky U-joint may not seem like a complex repair, but it's a messy one. You may want to consider the help of a plumber to save on the clean-up time.

Before your plumber arrives, use leak tape, a rubber sheet or a compression clamp to keep your water from spraying.

Broken Water Heater

From water that has a strange odour to water that's too hot or too cold, water heater malfunctions aren't something you look forward to. Flushing your water tank can solve odour problems and significantly improve your heater's efficiency.

Don't forget to seek the help of a plumber the next time you have any of these problems.