There’s one part of a home that a lot of people tend to forget about. It’s easy to see why this would happen since this aspect of homeownership is deliberately built to be as invisible as possible. It’s your indoor plumbing, a network of pipes designed to carry potable water into your home, and wastewater away from it.
When it works, it’s easy to take for granted. But when it doesn’t work, you quickly realize just how much first-world living convenience is centered on potable water when you need it, or not needing to go into the woods to relieve yourself. That’s why we have some advice about four plumbing emergencies you should try to avoid.
Your Fixture Leaks
Some people might claim this isn’t even an emergency at all because it rarely presents a huge threat to your home. However, the constant dripping can prove a major source of irritation, and the wasted water still ends up on the bill you pay at the end of the month.
Fixing leaky fixtures is not something you have to spend a lot of money on, or necessarily require the help of a professional. Most of the time, leaky fixtures are the result of a worn-out washer or O-ring. These are small, easily replaceable parts, so you can often do it yourself with a wrench.
The Drain Is Blocked
Usually, a blocked drain won’t “just happen,” unless someone has stuffed something down a drain that was never meant to go there.
Typically, blocked drains start as “slow drains.” Hair, food, or other matter going down the drain doesn’t actually exit into the sewer but instead catches on the pipe and then gradually builds up.
As time passes, this results in the “slow drain,” where you notice that a sink is emptying slower than it used to. At this point, you either use a drain cleaner corrosive to clear out the obstruction or continue to ignore it. If you ignore it, it will become a blocked drain, which a drain cleaner is unlikely to fix. Mechanical solutions like plungers of plumbing snakes are likely to still be effective.
An Overflowing Toilet
Toilets backing up and spilling human waste onto your floor isn’t just a home emergency, it’s a health risk.
There are a lot of possible contagions that may be in human waste, so don’t let it sit there, quickly but carefully clean it up.
If you’re lucky, the same mechanical solutions that worked for a blocked drain will work here. If they don’t, call a plumber immediately, this is a situation you want to be resolved ASAP.
Burst Pipes in the Home
This plumbing emergency has the potential to be the most expensive, depending on the location and scope.
If a water pipe has burst, you may only notice it when you see water damage in the wall, ceiling, or floor where the break has occurred.
If the burst is in the drainage pipe, you may not notice at all until you smell human waste in your home and realize your toilet flushes have been emptying somewhere inside the house. You’ll need an experienced professional to deal with a problem of this scale.
Always try to remain calm and analytical when you encounter these issues in your Bonita Springs, FL home. Some plumbing emergencies can be solved by you. Others need professional attention. Use common sense to figure out when to make the right call.
