Preparing Your Home for Plumbing Emergencies With Emergency Plumbing | San Antonio, TX

2/24/2021

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When you have a plumbing problem, it’s not uncommon to have to wait a bit for a plumber to come check it out. Sometimes, however, you’re dealing with a plumbing emergency where time is of the essence. Whether you’ve got a burst pipe or a sewage backup, it’s important to know how to deal with emergencies and when it’s time to call an emergency plumber. If you want to make sure your San Antonio, TX, home is prepared for plumbing emergencies, here’s what you need to keep in mind.

Shutting Off Water

If there’s one thing you need to know how to do when it comes to preventing plumbing emergencies, it’s shutting off water to your home. In the event that you’ve got a bad leak or some other water-wasting problem, you should turn off your water and call an emergency plumber. Not only does this save you money on your water bill, but it can also save you a fortune when it comes to water damage.

Fortunately, it’s not very difficult to turn your water off in a pinch. Shutting off water to your home requires the simple turning of a valve, which means the real task is figuring out where your main water shutoff valve is. If you’re not sure where your shutoff valve is, you can have a plumber locate it for you and show you how to use it properly. Any time you call an emergency plumber to fix a leak or some other plumbing emergency at your home, you’ll know where your main shutoff valve is so you can shut off water to your home quickly.

Insulation

Another thing you should consider when it comes to preventing plumbing emergencies is insulating your home. You never know when temperatures are going to drop below freezing, and freezing temperatures always come with the risk of burst pipes. When the water inside a water line freezes and expands, it can crack the pipe and leave it leaking when that ice thaws out. You can prevent this by making sure any pipes that are located in exterior walls are properly insulated. Spending a little bit of money insulating the susceptible pipes in your home can save you a lot of money that you might otherwise spend on an emergency plumber.

Heat Tape

While making sure your home is properly insulated is a good way to prevent frozen and burst pipes, sometimes that’s not enough. When it gets really cold outside during the winter and you need a little extra support, heat tape is a great way to make sure your pipes don’t burst. Even though it costs a little bit of money, installing heat tape greatly reduces the odds that you’ll have to call an emergency plumber to fix a burst pipe.

The important thing to remember about heat tape is that you have to remember to plug it in so you can take advantage of it. Some homeowners have heat tape installed and forget to unplug it during the warm seasons and plug it in during the cold seasons. When you have heat tape installed, make sure you have a plumber show you how to use it.

Leak Detection

One great option you have at your disposal these days when it comes to preventing plumbing emergencies is a leak detection system. Leak detection systems are designed to save you money on emergency plumber calls by letting you know where you’ve got a leak as soon as you have a leak in your home. If you want to go all out when it comes to preventing plumbing problems, having a smart leak detection system installed in your plumbing system is a good route to go.

Smart leak detection systems can determine when you’ve got a leak in your plumbing system based on water pressure. This data also allows sophisticated leak detection systems to figure out where that leak is likely occurring. Then, you can get a notification on your phone that lets you know you have a leak so you can get it fixed.

The only real downside to smart leak detection systems is the fact that the installation process is fairly involved. But if you want to save money that you’d otherwise have to spend on an emergency plumber, a smart leak detection system can help you stop small leaks early on.

When to Call an Expert

As a homeowner, you need to understand when it’s time to throw in the towel and call an emergency plumber. The thing is, you shouldn’t be dealing with any sort of plumbing problem unless it’s one you can fix with a plunger or drain cleaner. As much as you may want to save money, there’s a good chance you’ll end up doing more damage and costing yourself more money.

If you ever notice a bad leak or burst pipe in your home, you should call an emergency plumber right away. You should also call an emergency plumbing service if you notice a strong sewer smell in your home, as these fumes can be dangerous to inhale. If you think a plumbing problem may cause serious water damage, lead to mold growth or otherwise cost you a significant amount of money, it’s best to call an emergency plumber.

Call bluefrog Today

There’s no getting around the fact that owning a home is a lot of work, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. Simply learning a little bit about your plumbing system and knowing when to call an expert goes a long way toward saving you time and money.

Next time you have a plumbing emergency at your San Antonio, TX, home, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio is here to help. Plus, we can help you prepare for an emergency and upgrade your plumbing system so it’s ready for the future. Contact bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio to schedule an appointment today.