You may not have wished for a plumbing emergency for the holiday season, but these accidents rarely occur when we want them to.
With plumbing emergencies, they all have one thing in common: the sooner you notice them, the less damage they’ll do (physically and financially). In this post, we’ll inform you about a few of the most common plumbing emergencies in Plano, TX so you can catch them early, or possibly even prevent them.
Slab Leak
One of the worst plumbing emergencies you can encounter is a slab leak. The earlier you notice it and get it taken care of, the better off you’ll be.
A slab leak is essentially a leak that develops beneath the foundation of your home. The leak can push up the concrete foundational slabs, and that in itself can cause damage to the property. You’ll want to keep a look out for things like:
- Cracks in your concrete, tile flooring, or on the walls above the baseboards.
- Water leaking from the floor.
- Hot or cold spots on the floor.
- Areas of your yard near the house saturated with water.
Clogs
There’s never any reason to get excited about a clog. They’ll put your essential appliances out of commission, and your quality of life will grind to a halt.
Drain Clogs
Clogs in the bathroom sink are one thing—at least you can use another sink in the home while you wait for a plumber to arrive. As for the kitchen sink? You’ll have to put your dinner plans on hold until you get the problem fixed.
Stay diligent about preventing fats, oils, and greases from going down the drain and this shouldn’t become a problem anytime soon.
Toilet Clogs
Toilet clogs aren’t just a nuisance, they can be unsanitary and embarrassing to deal with. Taking a plunger to the toilet is perfectly OK, but we can’t recommend using a drain snake, even if they are readily available at hardware stores. Improper usage can get the snake stuck, and then you’ll have two problems.
Plus, toilet clogs aren’t always just due to a buildup of trash or paper. Your drain snaking efforts may be in vain if the source is:
- A problem with the flapper, the part that lets water flow from the tank to the toilet bowl.
- A clog deep in the drain line. far beyond where a drain snake can reach.
- A buildup of hard water in the toilet.
Water Heater Leaks
A water heater leak is a huge issue and means you’ll need to have your heater replaced as soon as possible.
But don’t pick up that phone just yet—some water around the base of your water heater doesn’t automatically mean it’s a leak. It could be due to a harmless issue like a loose pipe, or from the natural behavior of a temperature and pressure valve letting off some discharge.
Inspect all the plumbing fittings for a source of the leak. If you can’t find anything, it’s possible that the water heater is leaking. If it gets to that point, call in a plumber to have them check it out for you.
