How to Know If Your Home Has a Real Plumbing Emergency

Not all plumbing problems in a home are an actual emergency, as some repairs can wait until you're ready to tackle them or until you can get a standard plumber to work you into his or her schedule. However, some problems in your home require the services of an emergency plumber so that they can be taken care of right away, before the problem gets worse and even becomes dangerous. Note the following.

1. If water pressure is very low

Not having good water pressure from your faucets or showerheads can be caused by a number of factors, but a leak in the plumbing pipes is often a culprit. If you were to ignore this leak, you may see damage to the building materials around your plumbing pipes and this could also allow mold to develop. Rather than assuming that you can just live with low water pressure, call an emergency plumber to check for damaging leaks and have them addressed quickly.

2. If pipes are frozen

When water freezes, it expands, which is why you want to have frozen pipes fixed immediately. This expansion of water puts pressure on the pipes and connectors so that they can easily crack and break. It's never a good idea to use a torch or other heating element to try to thaw pipes, as this can cause building materials around them to catch fire. Some plumbers won't even thaw pipes themselves but will simply replace them for added safety. Don't ignore this problem, as one frozen pipe can lead to extensive repair work, but call an emergency plumber to address it as quickly as possible.

3. If you have a burst pipe

The first thing to do when a pipe bursts is to shut off the water supply, and then you want to call a plumber. It's important that you have them come as quickly as possible even if you shut off the water, as you need to pinpoint the reason for the burst and have this addressed to avoid more damage. You might replace the burst pipe on your own and then restore the water, only to find that the cause of the burst was a clog or other issue you failed to address. Before you restore water to your home after a pipe bursts, call an emergency plumber so he or she can address the problem correctly and avoid more damage done to your home's plumbing.

If you suspect your plumbing has a problem that needs to be addressed by a professional, contact a local company like P1 Plumbing & Electrical.