7 Plumbing Problems That Require A Call To An Emergency Plumber | San Antonio, TX
You rely on the plumbing system in your San Antonio, TX, home all day long. You need running water from the time you wake up and use the bathroom, brush your teeth, and make breakfast until you have dinner and get ready for bed. You also rely on the drainage system to remove the water and waste from the home to the sewer pipe.
Plumbing problems can affect your ability to use the plumbing system and can make performing daily household chores challenging. It’s not uncommon to worry when plumbing issues arise and want the problem to be resolved quickly. Many plumbing problems can wait until you can find a plumber with an available appointment, which can take a day or two, and others cannot wait and are considered emergencies.
Emergency issues can affect your ability to use the water, and some can put your home at risk for water damage and mold growth.
If your plumbing system experiences any of the following problems, it’s best to call an emergency plumber as quickly as possible.
#1 No Water
The most obvious sign that you need an emergency plumber is if there’s no water coming from the taps in your home. Without running water, you can’t perform daily activities. You won’t even be able to do simple things like flushing the water and washing your hands, and you’ll need an emergency plumber to restore the water.
Before you make the call, make sure your water bills have been paid, and check with a neighbor or the water company’s website to rule out a widespread outage. The last thing you want is to spend time waiting for the plumber when you didn’t need a service call, so it’s best to check things out on your end first.
If everything checks out on your end, you’ll need to hire a plumber to determine why you have no running water. There are a few issues that can cause a lack of water, including:
- A significant clog in the main water line
- A significant leak in the main water line
- An issue with the main water shutoff valve
- Old pipes
- Corroded pipes
An emergency plumber has the knowledge and experience to determine what is causing the lack of water to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. You can’t live without running water, and a lack of water is considered an emergency and should be fixed as quickly as possible.
#2 Leaking Pipes
A common call plumbers receive is leaking pipes. The pipes in your San Antonio, TX home can leak due to a few reasons, including:
- Broken seals
- Clogged lines
- Corrosion
- Damaged pipe joints
- High water pressure
- Loose water connectors
- Fixture creaks
- Constantly changing temperatures
Leaking pipes require a call to an emergency plumber because waiting can cause further problems. The longer the problem persists, the more water damage will occur. In addition, leaking pipes can cause mold growth, which is hazardous to your family’s health and can be challenging and expensive to eradicate. In addition, allowing the pipe to continue leaking will cause a significant increase in your water bills.
Some leaks are easy to detect, and others are more challenging. For example, a leak under the sink in your San Antonio, TX home can be easily detected because you’ll see the pooling water when you open the kitchen cabinet or bathroom vanity. It’s also possible for a pipe behind the wall to leak, which can be more challenging to detect, and you’ll see water spots on the wall or the ceiling in most cases. The pipes underneath your home can also leak and can cause pooling water in the yard or warm basement floors. When a leak beneath the house goes undetected for too long, the water can cause damage to your home’s foundation, which is really expensive to fix. Unfortunately, not every leak will show visible signs, and in some cases, the only sign will be higher than average water bills.
An emergency plumber can use leak detection equipment to pinpoint the leaking pipe. The plumber will use a tiny camera mounted on long fiber optic cables and will send the camera down the pipes to find the leaking pipe. They can also use acoustic equipment that will help them hear the water leaking from the pipe, even if it’s behind the wall or under the house.
The pipe can be replaced when the emergency plumber finds the leak to prevent further water damage.
#3 A Complete Drain Clog
Grease, food, soap scum, and hair can build up in the pipes in your home, creating a clog. As careful as you are with what you put down the drain, you can’t always prevent debris from going down the drain.
Small clogs can prevent the water from draining quickly but aren’t considered an emergency. As long as the water still drains, you can wait a day or two until you can find a plumber with an available appointment.
If you allow a small clog to persist, it can escalate to a larger clog that prevents the water from draining, which requires a call to an emergency plumber. When the drain clogs completely, you can’t use the sink or tub until the clog is removed. This can be especially frustrating if the tub is clogged and you have only one full bath because you can’t shower until the clog is removed. The same is true with a completely clogged kitchen sink because you need to sink to prepare food, wash dishes, and for many other household tasks.
Many homeowners will try a liquid drain cleaner to remove the clog to save on the cost of a plumber. If the drain is clogged completely and there’s standing water in the sink or tub, the drain cleaner won’t reach the clog. Liquid drain cleaners also aren’t the best idea for small clogs because you can’t be sure if the entire clog has been removed. If part of the clog remains, it won’t be long before the water starts draining slowly again and can escalate to a complete clog. Also, these products contain harsh chemicals to break up clogs, which can damage the pipes, and it’s best to hire an emergency plumber.
An emergency plumber can send a tiny camera down the drain to get a good look at the clog so they know what they’re dealing with. When the plumber finds the clog’s location, they can remove it entirely to prevent the drain from clogging again. When the plumber leaves you home, the water will flow freely down the drain, and you can start using the sink or tub again.
#4 Multiple Drain Clogs
If the water drains slowly or not at all in multiple sinks, tubs, and toilets in your San Antonio, TX home, it’s unlikely that every drain became clogged simultaneously, and there’s likely an issue with the sewer line. When the sewer line clogs, it can affect every drain in the house, and it’s best to call an emergency plumber as soon as you detect the issue.
Several issues can cause clogs in the sewer line, including:
- Flushing debris down the toilet
- Pour grease down the drain
- Damage to the sewer pipe
- A sagging sewer line
- Tree root infiltration
Sewer line clogs will cause other problems in your home besides multiple drain clogs.
- Flushing the toilet causes water to back up into the tub.
- The toilet water starts to bubble.
- You hear a gurgling sound when you flush the toilet or when the tub drains.
- Certain areas of your lawn are greener and lusher than the rest of the yard.
You should call an emergency plumber because sewer line clogs can affect the water’s ability to drain.
The plumber will use a camera to determine if there is a clog and to find its location. Next, they’ll use a drain snake or hydro-jetting to remove the entire clog, so the water flows down the drain quickly.
Waiting to have the problem resolved can result in further damage, and the sewer line may need to be repaired or replaced, which can be very expensive.
#5 Toilet Clogs
Toilet clogs are relatively common. Your toilet can clog if you flush too much waste and toilet paper. Clogs can also occur if something is flushed that shouldn’t have been, such as baby wipes, paper towels, washcloths, and kid’s toys.
In many cases, using a plunger will break up the clog enough to be flushed. If you try using a plunger and it doesn’t help, it’s time to call an emergency plumber.
A clogged toilet is considered an emergency because you can’t use the toilet until the clog is removed. If you have just one bathroom in your San Antonio, TX home, you can’t use the bathroom, which is a serious problem.
The plumber can use a drain camera to get a good look at what is clogging the toilet and its location. In many cases, they can use a drain auger to push the clog down the drain so you can flush the toilet again. If the clog is solid, like a child’s toy, or located too far down the drainpipe, the emergency plumber may need to remove the toilet to remove the clog, so you can start using the toilet again.
#6 Water Heater Issues
The water heater in your San Antonio, TX, home fills with water, and the unit heats and stores the water, so it’s there when you need it. Without hot water, you can’t perform many daily household tasks, such as showering, cooking, and cleaning. In addition, your hot water-based appliances won’t function correctly without hot water; therefore, water heater issues are serious.
If your water heater experiences any of the following problems, you’ll need to call an emergency plumber as soon as possible.
- Cold water comes from the hot water tap.
- The water doesn’t get hotter than lukewarm.
- Reduced hot water pressure
- Rust-colored hot water
- Strange sounds coming from the unit
- You run out of hot water frequently.
- Moisture or water pooling around the unit
An emergency plumber can inspect your water heater to find the cause of the problem so it can be resolved as quickly as possible. If the issue cannot be repaired, you’ll have to replace the water heater.
#7 Rust-Colored or Brown Water
When you turn on the water in your San Antonio, TX home, you expect the water to run clear. If the water has a brownish or rust-colored tint, you should call an emergency plumber.
If it’s just the hot water that’s discolored, the issue lies with the water heater. However, if the hot and cold water is discolored, the issue is with the pipes.
As the pipes age, they can start to rust and corrode, which contaminates the water. It’s unsafe to use contaminated water; therefore, you should avoid using it until an emergency plumber finds the pipe causing the problem and it’s replaced. If you have to use the water, it’s best to boil it first.
Why Choose bluefrog Plumbing + Drain + HVAC of San Antonio?
If you have a plumbing issue that requires the help of an emergency plumber, call bluefrog Plumbing + Drain + HVAC of San Antonio. We are a full-service plumbing and HVAC company and are members of the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Association.
Our plumbers are professionally trained and have the knowledge and experience to handle all plumbing jobs.
We are a Google Guaranteed business, and thanks to the excellent service our plumbers and HVAC techs provide, we have a 5-star rating on Google. In addition, we have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and a 5-star rating on Facebook.
We understand that many plumbing issues cannot wait until we have an available appointment, so we provide emergency service. If you have an urgent problem, we’ll get a plumber to your home the same day to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
To schedule an appointment with an emergency plumber or any other service we provide, give us at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain + HVAC of San Antonio a call or book online.
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