Plumbing Emergencies That’ll Frighten You!
Emergency Plumbers in Timberwood Park, TX Share Haunting Tales of Plumbing Emergencies
Halloween is coming and with it, plenty of ghosts, ghouls, and monsters. As the full moon rises and the jack-o’-lanterns glow, everyone looks for a frightfully good time … but no one wants to come home to a nightmare. Plumbing scares can happen at any time, and often do at the most inopportune moment! Beware of these common plumbing emergencies!
The Greatest Plumbing Scares People Face
Blood-Curdling Pipe Bursts
The gusting winds and chilly evenings of autumn are a welcome sign that Halloween is on the horizon. Unfortunately, with colder weather comes more risk for a major plumbing nightmare: burst pipes. Lower temperatures and extreme weather changes that come with autumn and winter create the perfect environment for pipes to freeze and burst.
There’s nothing worse than coming home from vacation to find a flooded basement, bathroom, or kitchen caused by a busted pipe. However, it’s not just freezing temperatures that can lead to a burst. Homeowners should beware of rusted, worn down plumbing pipes just as much as colder temperatures. As pipes wear down over time, they become more susceptible to bowing and breakage, making bursts more likely as they age.
Homeowners can prevent burst pipes by taking proactive measures. Insulating exposed pipes can protect them from temperature changes. Monitoring water for discoloration that might point to excessive minerals or rust can help catch any damages before they result in a massive plumbing bill.
Sink and Toilet Scares
Most people know that toilet troubles can be an absolute terror … but it’s not often that a homeowner considers a slow draining sink to be a problem. The truth is, the plumbing system of a house works in tandem with every plumbing fixture, and when one fixture suffers a problem, another will quickly follow. This is especially true with fixtures near one another, like the bathroom toilet and sink, which share a connection to the main sewer line and tend to experience problems together.
The worst plumbing problem most homeowners will face from these two fixtures is overflow. Whenever plumbing fixtures overflow, they create a massive mess to clean up. Sewage and contaminated water can spill into the room, damaging floors, furniture, and fixtures. Cleanup can require hiring a water mitigation specialist plus the local plumber, and the whole process can be time consuming and expensive.
Overflow typically occurs because of a blockage or clog in the pipeline. Most clogs can be fixed with good old fashioned elbow grease and a decent plunger, or even with some over the counter pipe de-clogging liquids. However, clogs can be quite serious, and if the more mundane methods don’t work, a plumber will need to be called in to handle it. If the blockage occurs in the vent pipe, no amount of plunging will work, and an expert will need to be called. The vent-pipe controls the influx and refilling of air that flushes the toilet and isn’t easily adjusted without specific tools and training.
Sump Pump Failure
If a sump pump is a mystery concept to a homeowner, they should be grateful. Sump pumps are the unsung heroes of home security features. Like a fire extinguisher or emergency first-aid kit, sump pumps are seldom used but are necessary to protect a home. In areas with high groundwater or frequent flash flooding, homes usually have a sump pump or two installed in their basement to flush out excessive groundwater away from the home’s foundation. The failure of a sump pump means flooding and water mitigation.
Like most plumbing features, a clog, poor installation, or age can cause a sump pump to fail. However, unlike most plumbing in the home, sump pumps rely on electricity to power their operation. If electricity fails, sump pumps will cease working. This is especially troubling if rain or snowstorms have caused electricity failure. Sump pumps that are overwhelmed or improperly sized for the home also face failure if their capacity is maxed.
These plumbing disasters are the last thing a homeowner wants to worry about during any part of the year. Keep Halloween a frightfully good time and reach out to a local plumbing expert to make sure the home’s plumbing system is ready to handle any scare.
Contact a Local Plumbing Expert for Help
Primo Plumbing Inc. has served the people of Timberland Park, TX, for over 50 years. Their team has more than 75 years of combined experience to handle any and every plumbing emergency that comes their way. Their reliable, 24/7 expert services have made them a dependable name for plumbing services.
