Some plumbing issues can be categorized as emergencies while others are considered to be plumbing problems that can be attended at a later date. Calling a 24-hour plumber can be costly so you might want to check if your plumbing problem is indeed an emergency before calling your trusted professional plumber.
Accumulated Water on Wall or Floor Area
Sudden or rapid damping observed on your walls or on the floor area with no visible cause is considered to be a plumbing emergency. You have most likely a leak in your pipe if you experience such in your homes.
It is considered to be a non-emergency if you can identify the source of the wetness or if the cause of the leak or flooding is an exposed pipe. You can simply close the water supply that delivers water to the pipe to clear out and dry the area.
You can have a plumber scheduled to your home on a later date or hour in such cases, saving you a few hundred dollars in service fees.
Burst Pipe
Burst pipes are not always treated as emergencies. Although you can potentially lose a lot of water due to this plumbing issue, you can simply turn off your water source if you are able to identify where the pipe burst is.
If you are unable to stop the water supply to the burst pipe or plumbing fixture or if turning off the water supply source would be inconvenient for the household, you should call for an emergency or 24-hour plumber to address and fix your burst pipe.
Smell of Gas
Gas-powered water heaters are very common in most Australian homes. If you happen to smell gas inside your home, do not think twice and call a plumber or gas plumbing specialist to your home immediately.
Unattended gas leaks can be very dangerous to your home and the people living there. Gas plumbing issues are always attended by licenced and professional gas plumbing specialists. Never attempt to fix them on your own.
Blocked Sewer Lines
Multiple plumbing issues can cause water backflow which is dangerous not only for your homes but as well as the whole water supply of your area. In some cases, blocked sewer lines can also cause sewage to enter your living space.
Call a plumbing company to address this emergency quickly because it can cause severe health and safety risks. However, if the blocks in your drains are causing the flow to move slowly, but still allows it to do so, you can schedule a regular plumbing fix for your property instead of an emergency one.
This type of plumbing issue still requires immediate attention, but not as immediate of a concern compared to blockages that are already prompting backflow.
High Water Consumption
If you notice an unexplainable increase in your water bill and water consumption, you might have a leak or a burst pipe in your home. Similar to burst pipes, you should only treat this as an emergency if you are unable to identify where the leak or where the burst pipe is located.
In cases where you can turn off the source of water for the damaged or leaking pipe causing the high water consumption on your property, you should not treat this as an emergency but a regular plumbing fix.
If you are unsure whether your plumbing issue is indeed an emergency or not, it would be best to act with urgency. Call for plumbing assistance as soon as possible most especially if it involves electricity or gas. A 24-hour plumber can attend to your need any time of the day for plumbing emergencies in your home.
