USA Plumbing & Sewer Inc provides the following services:

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When Do You Need Emergency Plumbing Repair?

Do you know if your plumbing problem is an emergency? When determining if you need an emergency plumber, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is it dangerous?

When your safety is at stake, call a 24-hour plumber to fix the issue right away. For instance, pressure building up in a hot water heater or leaking sewage are very dangerous situations that no homeowner should try to deal with themselves. Similarly, water leaking near electrical components creates a risk for electrocution. If there’s imminent danger, call an emergency plumbing company immediately. Significant standing water in your basement can also be dangerous if you don’t know what caused it because you can’t be sure what might be in the water. Don’t wade into unknown water – call the experts.

  • Can you wait?

Something like a clogged toilet doesn’t typically require an emergency plumber (unless you only have one bathroom, that is). A toilet that won’t flush can wait until regular business hours to get fixed. However, if you have a broken pipe, that can’t wait. For times when you need help immediately, call an after-hours plumber for help.

  • What is the cost of waiting?

For plumbing problems that are borderline, try to determine what the cost of waiting could be. Mold growth can happen within hours of water damage from any type of plumbing failure. And while mold growth isn’t always visible because it can hide behind drywall or in ceilings or flooring, the cost of mold remediation is steep. This long-term expense of waiting makes calling a local emergency plumber at the first sign of a water leak a shrewd decision. There are other costs to consider as well. For instance, if water damage occurs near a furnace, it could compromise the unit, resulting in a much bigger bill if left unaddressed than an emergency plumber would charge. The same is true of major appliances like washers, refrigerators, and dishwashers.

  • How much are you willing to be inconvenienced?

Sometimes a plumbing problem isn’t urgent, but it’s extremely inconvenient. If you just want life to go back to normal in your household as quickly as possible to avoid the extreme inconvenience that your plumbing issue has caused, call an emergency plumbing business to get it fixed right away. You may decide there’s no sense in suffering through a plumbing problem that makes your life more difficult when you can have a pro fix it sooner rather than later. 

  • What are your options?

If you don’t have any good emergency plumbing options locally, you may decide to wait until you can get a reputable plumber in to fix the issue – someone that comes highly recommended or that you have a relationship with already. But if you have a well-rated and reputable local plumber that you can call after hours, that may help you make up your mind about whether to call.

Additional Resources:
Who Do You Call for a Plumbing Emergency?
When Do You Need an Emergency Plumber?
Is a Broken Pipe a Plumbing Emergency?
My Frozen Pipe Broke - What Do I Do?
Get Help for a Burst Pipe
My Basement Flooding Again
Who to Call for a Hot Water Tank Leak
Where is All this Water Coming From?
Are there Roots in My Sewer Line?
Help, I Have Toilet Clog that can't be Fixed!
How are Emergency Plumbers Different?
Emergency Plumbing Roto Rooting
A Guide to Emergency Plumber Rates