There is a certain amount of dread and anxiety associated with discovering a leak in the basement at four in the morning. On a holiday. Or watching as the toilet water spins and spins but never seems to go down. Turning on a faucet or a shower and the lurching of pipes but yet no water springing forth. These are the inevitable and unenviable fears of any homeowner.
With statistics not on your side, it is only prudent to learn the role of emergency plumbing services and how they will shape your wallet and your house.
Emergency plumbing services literally covers any and all reasons why one would call a plumber at short notice and demand his expertise at one’s own residence. The second a plumber is making an emergency plumbing visit, he or she knows that there is potentially a great deal of money to be made. Plumbers never come at odd hours of the day or night, on holidays and weekends, to service a person’s house economically.
With that economic qualifier mentioned, it is also good to know that while emergency plumbing services are not cheap – they are sometimes absolutely necessary.
In the event of a catastrophic water or sewage leak, in which one risks the structure of one’s own home, emergency plumbing services are ideal. In these events, it’s best to simply call a 24 hour plumber or emergency plumbing service. Water and sewage leaks can not only damage the very wood structure and support of one’s own home, but potentially lead to mold and bacterial infiltration that puts the other occupants at health risks. Additionally, depending on which state or country in which the residence is located, there may be restrictions on whether or not the occupants may be allowed back into the house until the proper repairs and inspections are made.
There is also the dreaded septic system and leeching field issues. This class of plumbing problems is almost assuredly both an emergency and going to require industrial strength plumbing tools. Depending on where the residence is located, it may also require a HAZMAT certification or licensed professional to remove the sewage and waste. While this most assuredly CAN qualify for emergency plumbing, it may be possible, depending on the scope of the problem, to wait until normal contracted hours.
For a routine leaky faucet, running toilet, and a variety of ailments, it behooves the homeowner to wait until normal business hours and attempt to contract the plumber at a normal rate. This can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in but a series of visits.
But just because it is during normal business hours DOES not mean that the plumber isn’t billing for an emergency visit. This is where it takes prudent and careful discussion BEFORE work begins, whereby the plumber clearly outlines the entirety of the work he or she intends to do, the cost of materials and labor, and the classification for the plumbing – routine repair, extensive repair, intensive repair, construction, and/or emergency plumbing.
Emergency plumbing can sometimes be the difference between losing a property to water and waste damage and recovering it. It can also be the difference between relatives complaining about not being able to use the bathroom and simply complaining about your pot roast. In the end, it truly is a homeowner’s decision whether or not to classify a plumbing project as emergency or otherwise.
Unfortunately, if a problem is underestimated in scope, it may turn into an emergency plumbing problem and may become a hindrance to all whom reside within. That is why it is a best practice to have both one’s regularly scheduled plumber and a back-up emergency plumbing service – in case routine turns into emergency.
