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In emergency medicine, doctors use the process of “triage” to sort through the incoming patients and get them the appropriate level of attention. For plumbing, it pays to have an idea of what situation requires an emergency plumbing service to rush to resolve it, and which needs a plumber quickly but not immediately, and what problems should be seen soon, but won’t cause damage or tremendous water waste. When in doubt, call your Knoxville, TN area emergency plumbing service, My Professional Plumber, to be sure because some emergencies are not obvious. Low water pressure, for example, can seem to be an inconvenience that you might be able to live with. In some situations, low water pressure can allow contamination of your clean water supply, resulting in a need to boil water before drinking it. You may also find that a little leak is a sign of a big one right around the corner, tilting the decision towards plumbing service now to prevent emergency and cleanup later.
Toilet and Sink Clogs
When dirty water isn’t draining, it’s a problem and especially so if there’s more water coming in, from a toilet that won’t quit or an unattended sink. When these overflow, they add cleanup to the cost, and of course there’s the matter of hygiene, as anywhere the overflow has gone is contaminated. Your emergency plumbing service can advise you how to shut off the water as they are en route, and also help you arrange proper cleanup if there’s damage to be dealt with. As far as the clog is concerned, the original problem, hopefully it’s a simple matter of something stuck in the near part of the drain but lower in the P-trap, down the pipes, and into the wall are also options. The sooner your emergency plumbing service gets to work clearing the clog and perhaps doing a video inspection to locate it further down the pipe, the sooner life will get back to normal. One note, though: if you have multiple overflows, especially in the lower areas of the house such as basement drains, the main sewer line may be the cause.
Sewer Line Clogs
We often use a tiny video camera to inspect pipes which may have clogs, damage, or wear. If there are signs such as foul smells, multiple backups in the house, or slow drains, we’ll probably check your sewer cleanout and then go ahead and look in the pipe leading to the street. If the pipe itself is in good shape, the answer could be fairly straightforward, such as a thorough cleaning with high-pressure water known as hydro-jetting. As with individual drain clogs, this is a situation where time is a critical factor and it’s important to avoid increasing cleanup costs and damage as well as major health concerns. Calling your emergency plumbing service promptly for diagnosis helps give you information and options, and is a good idea even before you figure out budgetary issues.
Sewer and Drain Line Leaks
Clogs result in backup and overflow from specific points, but when drain pipes or sewer lines are damaged, the mess can be almost anywhere. As with other plumbing problems that involve wastewater, getting it under control quickly is essential. Our emergency plumbing service gets to work quickly identifying the extent of the problem and recommending solutions, including pipe or joint replacement or repair inside the house. There are quite a few potential options for the large sewer line from your home to the city sewer line, and once again a video inspection gives us key information about what’s going on. With that in hand, we can see if we are dealing with a tree root intrusion, pipe decay from age, pipe damage from pressure or soil shifting, or other factors. We can then replace the pipe completely, perform special patching techniques from inside the sewer line, or run a liner of patch material and reline the pipe. Any of these options adds significant lifetime to the pipe in most cases.
Water Line Leaks
Since your water lines are under pressure, the clock is ticking when you discover or suspect a leak. The line from the street, under your concrete slab in many cases, through pressure regulation, filtration, backflow prevention, and other equipment, and throughout your home can all leak, for different reasons. These include corrosion, joint leaks from damage or poor repair work, pipe damage from vibration or impact, and for pipes in the soil, even factors like shifting soil putting pressure on the pipe. If the leaking water is causing damage to your home, our emergency plumbing service can get to work locating it using special equipment and performing a repair. If the leak is outdoors, you may have trouble with water pressure, excessive water in your soil, and pressure on your foundation or slab, so a prompt repair is important. What about freezing pipes? Knoxville, TN is on the edge of freezing during the winter, so it’s possible that you might experience some pipe freezing, especially for exposed outdoor pipes. If you suspect yours have frozen, let’s get to work on them right away to avoid flooding when they thaw.
No Water
No water is a clear emergency, since your home cannot operate normally without it. Your hygiene, cooking, and other activities will be suspended and you’ll have to find options such as renting a hotel room to gain access to cleaning and cooking. Our emergency plumbing service team is excellent at diagnosing water pressure problems and complete lack of water. We’ll work with your water provider for resolution, including identifying any reasons for shutoff.
Call My Professional Plumber for Emergency Plumbing Services and More
For these water problems and many more, we take your family’s comfort and safety seriously and have the expertise to take care of you. We also can handle your urgent hot water heater issues and sump pump problems in the Knoxville, TN area. Call for help.