This Is When You Should Call A Professional Plumber | Helotes, TX
Have you ever been abruptly awakened in the middle of the night by an insistent dripping sound coming from your bathroom sink? You get out of bed and stumble in the darkness trying not to disrupt your family’s rest. As you turn on the bathroom light and squint at the faucet, you can see a drop of water threatening to fall into the sink. Then another, and another until it dawns on your still sleep-addled brain, you have a leak. Now, what should you do?
Your first reaction is probably to check if the tap has been shut off correctly. You turn the handles both ways and the drip won’t stop. To make matters worse, your home’s water pressure seems abnormal. Instead of the usual jet of water, you get only a weak stream of water, as if your plumbing system is mocking your interrupted sleep. Now you start worrying. You need a plumber, but should you call them now?
Before you call the first Helotes, TX plumber you find online, there are a few things you should keep in mind, including whether you are facing a plumbing emergency or the problem can wait a couple of days before you get help.
There will be times in which the plumber will only take a few minutes to repair a simple issue, such as that sleep-interrupting midnight drip. Nevertheless, you should never attempt to fix plumbing problems on your own, no matter how simple they may seem unless you have been trained as a plumber yourself. Think about it this way: not calling a plumber can cost you a lot of money to repair anything you mistakenly damage in your attempt to fix the problem on your own. This includes everything from a clogged toilet to a burst pipe. Yes, we live in an age in which you can find a DIY video online for just about anything, but the consequences can become a nightmare for you, so save yourself the headache and call a reputable plumber to solve the problem in your Helotes, TX home. Trust us on this, the money will be well worth it.
A plumber is an expert at getting you out of trouble when your Helotes, TX home’s plumbing decides to go bonkers. When you feel sick, you visit a doctor, so why not call in a plumber when you find a leak or your sewage starts backing up? Even though this article will tell you when you need a plumber right away and when you don’t, you should always follow your instinct when it comes to these issues because nobody knows your home better than you. So, let’s get started on the subject that brought you here today: knowing when to call a plumber in Helotes, TX.
1. When You Can’t Fix the Problem Yourself
As we mentioned at the start of this article, nowadays it’s easy to find any number of videos that show you how to fix a wide range of problems, even those related to plumbing, but that doesn’t mean you should do it yourself unless you are absolutely sure you have the knowledge and training to do so. Otherwise, you may do more damage than good, resulting in costly repairs down the line.
Additionally, trying to fix a plumbing problem on your own can result in injuries and the loss of life, especially when you’re half asleep and rudely awakened by that bothersome dripping noise coming from the kitchen sink, and the only tools you can find are a flashlight and a wrench. Give yourself a break, calling a professional plumber for help provides the assurance of a job well done, and your peace of mind. And, unless you are in school to become a plumber yourself, please stay away from the DIY plumbing videos out there.
2. When You Are Facing a Plumbing Emergency
Sometimes it can happen that you suddenly find yourself standing in the middle of your living room with water up to your ankles because one of your pipes burst. This, like other situations we will detail below, constitutes an emergency and you should call a plumbing professional in Helotes, TX right away. Keep in mind that not all situations require urgent and immediate attention, and can wait a day or two while you find the best professional to fix them, but when it comes to emergencies, many reputable plumbing companies offer the service you need around the clock, regardless of whether it is on a weekday, a holiday, or a weekend. So, take a few minutes to evaluate the situation to determine whether you are in the midst of an emergency, and take the appropriate steps for calling the plumbing expert of your choice.
3. Your Sink Isn’t Draining as Quickly as It Used To
If your family has ever complained about water not draining fast enough from the shower, or your bathroom sink seems to be draining slower than usual, it is highly likely that your drains are showing signs of distress. In the majority of cases, the source of the problem can be found in a clog forming along the line, but you won’t be able to tell exactly what it is until a professional plumber uses special tools to look down the drain.
Once the expert has found the approximate location of the clog, they will use a tool to dislodge it. This tool can be either an auger or a snake. The specific one to be used will depend on the diameter of your drain pipe. These tools are definitely much more efficient than that piece of wire you have been poking down your drain, and they can damage your pipes to the extent in which you may end up paying much more to have them fixed.
4. Your Home’s Water Pressure Went AWOL
Does your daughter take 30 minutes in the shower not because that’s what teenagers do, but because the water pressure in your home is so low, it takes forever to rinse her hair? If your home’s water pressure is getting lower by the day, and you are having trouble with your washing machine or getting your clothing and dishes clean, you should call a plumber right away, before your utility bill gets more expensive and you waste valuable time. A professional will be able to find the source of the problem and resolve it without further damaging your home’s plumbing system. In many cases, the problem can be easily fixed and your water pressure will be back to normal in no time at all.
5. Your Drains Are Overflowing
There is nothing more disgusting than an overflowing drain in your kitchen or bathroom sink. For some reason, what looked like clean water just a few minutes before suddenly came back stinking badly. Things get even worse when that smelly and dirty water starts flowing onto your beautiful floors, seeping through your hardwood, or ruining your carpet. So, once your drain starts back flowing, even if it’s just a little bit at first, you are going to want to nip the problem in the bud as quickly as humanly possible, in order to stop it from ruining your floors and costing you more money than you’d want to in order to replace the damage.
A good plumber can deal with these types of problems quickly and efficiently, so call them as quickly as possible.
6. Gurgling Water
Hearing gurgling sounds coming from your toilet while you are taking a bath can leave you scratching your head, and wondering what could be wrong. The short explanation is that you need a plumber immediately because the sound comes from your drain basically trying to find air. If it can’t find it, due to any number of possible reasons, it may end up spewing water everywhere. So, finish your bath quickly, turn off your home’s water supply, and call the pros as quickly as you can. Use the speed dial button on your phone, before you find yourself in a flooded room.
7. No Water Comes Out of Your Fixtures
This scenario is especially worrisome during the winter when you are looking forward to a nice warm shower, and the only thing coming out is ice-cold water. There are several reasons why your water heater may not be functioning correctly, ranging from a simple problem with the pilot light to it needing a replacement. Before you venture into your basement to figure out the problem, it’s best to call a plumbing expert to perform a correct diagnosis and let you know the best way to fix the issue can be. Attempting to fix the problem yourself can result in severe injury or worse, so don’t hesitate to call somebody who actually knows how to get the job done.
9. Burst Pipes
Winter can bring more than a beautiful snowy landscape, and burst pipes are one of the most annoying things that freezing temperatures can cause. Burst pipes can cause untold amounts of damage to your property, from ruining your brand-new carpet to causing structural damage to your foundation, floors and walls, so it should be considered an emergency that will require a professional plumber to fix.
Keep in mind that your pipes are not visible to the naked eye and are hidden behind walls or under the floors, so you won’t be able to determine where the tear was produced. Professional plumbing experts have the necessary knowledge, experience, and tools to detect the source of the problem and repair it quickly and competently. Even better, getting a reputable plumbing contractor to perform an inspection on your home’s plumbing system on a regular basis, can help detect any possible problem areas before a catastrophe develops. So, if your pipes have burst and there’s water everywhere, turn off the main valve and contact a trusted plumber right away, because any time you waste, only increases the amount of damage to your home.
10. Your Toilet Keeps Running
Yes, you wiggled the handle when you last flushed, and you made sure you didn’t leave it in the wrong position, but your toilet continues to run and you can’t figure out why. The problem with this issue is that it may have been happening for a long time before it became patently obvious that something could be wrong, and, if it has been going on for some time, you may have even noticed an unexplained increase in your utility bill. A constantly running toilet is a sure sign of something wrong deep within your home’s plumbing system, which could be caused by something as simple as a broken seal, or something that is much worse. So, call a trusted plumbing expert and let them know what’s going on, so they can repair it, and you can stop being annoyed by that noise and paying good money for water that will only end up being wasted.
11. Your Basement Is Flooded or Damp
Does your basement tend to flood for no reason or whenever it rains? Do you perceive a damp, musty smell whenever you go down there? Do puddles appear on your basement floor even in the middle of a heat wave, or there’s a nauseating smell that you can’t explain? If so, there could be something very wrong with your plumbing or sewage system and you should call a professional right away to ensure your home’s foundation doesn’t sustain any water damage that could cost you thousands of dollars to repair.
Contact bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio for Help
If any of the above scenarios describe the situation with your Helotes, TX home’s plumbing system, don’t hesitate to call the most experienced and knowledgeable plumber in the Helotes, TX area for help. At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio, we will be happy to help you solve all of your plumbing issues as soon as possible, helping you get back to normal as quickly as we can. So pick up the phone and give us a call today!