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Emergency Plumbing: What You Can Avoid & What You Should Expect

Residential plumbing is not something homeowners enjoy thinking about. Even more troublesome is paying for plumbing, something homeowners don’t even see on a daily basis yet can cost an arm and a leg to repair if not properly maintained. For Canadians, plumbing worries are linked to the seasons. In harsh Canadian winters the home pipes can freeze, and in the summers tree roots can grow infesting pipes thereby creating serious clogs and potential bursts in the water system of your home. The following is a list of the five most common plumbing emergencies and what you can do as a homeowner to prevent them.


Frozen/Bursting pipes
When your home’s pipes freeze and unfreeze pressure is being built inside the pipe. This is because when water is expanding (by freezing) and then melting again pressure is mounting between the ice blockage and the faucet. Once the pressure is too great the pipe will burst. If this situation were to occur in your home, before the emergency plumbing service arrives, you should find the hole and try to stop the flow of water. Then locate the main shutoff valve to your home and close it.


Broken water line
Broken water lines are caused by tree roots, natural disasters, storms, or people digging where they shouldn’t be digging. Of course human error is the most common reason for broken water lines. It is important to be aware of where your water line is on your property and to refrain from doing any sort of maintenance in that area without the help of a professional. A broken water line can cause damage to your yard by pooling the water in one area.


Sewage backup
This is one emergency no one wants to have happen in their home. You may have a sewage backup issue if there are multiple drains that are clogged in your home, or you can smell sewage coming from the sinks, showers or toilets in your home. This type of emergency needs to be handled by a professional. Sewage backup tends to be a municipal problem and not that of one home. These types of emergencies occur when the sewage system is overloaded with water. The excess water causes the system to surcharge and send the sewage back up into the home.


Gas leaks
Yes, gas leaks. Plumbers are responsible for laying gas lines and repairing them when necessary. Gas leaks are extremely lethal and not to be taken lightly. They can be caused by a variety of reasons, and are sometimes unnoticeable because there is no smell or fumes. It is important to have a gas monitor in your home. If you think you may have a gas leak, leave the home immediately and with the help of a professional plumber turn off the gas valve.


No hot water
No hot water in the home is not something people want to deal with, especially when you find out getting into the shower while trying to get ready for work. Your hot water issue can be caused by electrical problems or a leaky heater. If you have a water heater that is leaking it is costing you hundreds of dollars a year to heat your water more than it is for people with a new or functional heater. Leaking heaters can also cause damage to your home. The cheapest, and best way to fix this problem is replacing the old heater.

What do you think?

Written by Anta

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