There are times when a plumbing issue in the home is one that you don’t need to call a professional for. Putting in a bit of effort and using the right tools in the proper way can get you the results you want when it comes to common problems. A clogged toilet, for example, often only requires the correct usage of a plunger. If you call a plumber, they will use the exact same tool to do the job, only now you’re paying for it.

However, there are times when a plumbing situation is so difficult or complex that you can damage your home or even put other residents at risk if you attempt to fix a problem yourself without the right knowledge and expertise. Some plumbing issues need immediate professional attention due to their severity, but how do you determine this? Here are three scenarios that qualify as a plumbing emergency.

You Smell Sewage

Even if there are no blocked pipes and you do not see leaks anywhere, this is always a bad sign and should be responded to immediately. One of the most dangerous causes of this is breakage somewhere in your drainage pipe.
Under ordinary circumstances, your drainage pipe is a sealed system, carrying wastewater—including from the toilet—safely out of the home and into the sewer system. If you smell sewage, this could mean some of that sewage is now being deposited somewhere on the property, maybe even within the home itself.

Raw sewage is extremely dangerous. Simply touching it could lead to the transmission of a disease. This presents a serious health hazard that should be taken care of by professionals as quickly as possible.

Burst Or Leaking Pipes

Pipes are made out of either metal or, in more recent years, plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for drainage purposes. In both cases, however, the pipes are meant to do one thing, and that is to remain watertight for decades. There are early 20th century homes with cast iron pipes that are over 100 years old but are still working today!
While they are durable, pipes don’t last forever. Time or excessive use can cause them to break eventually. If that happens with a water pipe, water will leak or spray out until the water supply is shut off and the pipe is repaired. Depending on where the problem is, this could also mean water damage for the walls and ceilings.

Flooding

This is another situation that should be addressed immediately. Flooding may be the result of a blockage, a severe burst of water mains somewhere, or natural events like excessive rainfall. Whatever the case is, finding the source of the flood and dealing with it is far from easy.

When facing a flood, there’s also a possible health risk due to contaminated water. This is especially true if the flooding has reached a sewer and sewage water is flowing back up drainage pipes and into homes.

If you have a plumbing emergency, we can help. Contact us today, and our team will put you in touch with seasoned providers of emergency plumbing services.

At Plumbing Emergency Rescue, we know that one of the most common plumbing concerns that we hear from our Long Island, Suffolk County, and Nassau County residents is about clogged toilets, and we want those with clogged toilets to know that sometimes a minor clog can be efficiently handled on your own with a plunger. While the concept of plunging toilet to clear a clog seems like a simple one, getting the right seal, and therefore the right clearing method, down can take a little finesse, but we want to help you to master your plunger so you can take control of any small toilet clogs you may experience. Continue reading →

When a toilet is clogged, one of the first things that homeowners do to try to unclog the fixture is flushing again. It’s not outlandish to think that a second rush of water may be able to clear the clog and get things running again, but this is very rarely how unclogging a toilet works. In these instances, that second flush will often cause your toilet to begin to overflow, and an overflowing toilet can put you, your bathroom, and your belongings into a precarious situation. At Plumbing Emergency Rescue, our professionals are always available to save you from an overflowing toilet, but there are some steps you can take before we arrive in order to ensure your property damage and exposure is minimal.

First, if your toilet begins to overflow, you’ll want to shut the water off as quickly as possible. On many toilets in the Long Island, Suffolk County, and Nassau County regions, there will be a small shutoff valve located under the tank, and this will cut off the water supply to the toilet so the overflow will stop. In some cases, however, there is no shut off valve, and you’ll need to remove the lid on the tank and hold the float ball to stop the tank from refilling, while another person turns off the water using your home’s main shutoff valve. Continue reading →

There is no set time for a plumbing emergency, and rarely do these occurrences happen when the time is convenient. Whether it’s on a weekend, in the middle of the night, or both, an emergency plumber can be your ticket to rescue when the plumbing in your home decides to go. Before calling an emergency plumber, however, there are some steps you can take to make the visit faster and more efficient, and we at Plumbing Emergency Rescue want to assist our residents in having the best experience possible. Continue reading →

Even if you’ve protected your pipes during the winter, and continue to be mindful of them all year round, finding yourself with a burst pipe is sometimes something that just occurs. When you find yourself with a burst pipe, the steps you take next can mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and a big disaster, and allowing a faulty pipe to go along without any intervention can lead you to a great deal of property damage.

If you want to catch a bursting or faulty pipe in its early stages, you’ll need to know what to look out for. At Plumbing Emergency Rescue, we know the huge difference it can make when it comes to finding a pipe that is about to burst, and finding one that already has, and we know that taking these precautionary steps is more than worth it. A burst pipe doesn’t always go from working fine, to suddenly emitting a gush of water, and there can be more subtle signs to look out for if you’re looking to catch the pipe before a disaster happens. First, you’ll want to take note if you notice any damp spots on walls, through the floor, or on ceilings, as this can be a sign of a pipe in distress. Also, if you’re experiencing a sudden lack of water pressure or you can hear the pipes through the walls, it may be time to call an emergency plumber to have the pipes checked right away. Continue reading →

More than 7.6 million people live on Long Island, making it the most heavily populated island in the entire country. And many of the residents here are proud, independent people who prefer to handle things on their own. But when you suddenly begin to experience a plumbing issue, contacting help could be the best option to consider. An emergency plumber is something that’s well worth finding, and if your current plumber doesn’t already offer emergency services it might be time to rethink who you’re using. Continue reading →

With just under 1.5 million people within its borders, Suffolk County is the fourth most heavily populated county in the entire state of New York. There’s a lot to love about life here, but when issues arise with your home it can make it somewhat more difficult to really enjoy yourself. In particular, plumbing problems can ruin a day and need to be dealt with quickly.

As such, we here at Pluming Emergency Rescue feel that knowing some of the key steps to take when a plumbing emergency arises is important. Here are some things to keep in mind. Continue reading →

Winterizing your outdoor pipes isn’t a complicated process, and it can save you from being faced with a serious plumbing emergency. After your outdoor pipes and spigots are finished with their spring and summer time use, water can remain trapped within the pipe, and this trapped water can lead to the freezing, and then bursting, of your pipes when cold weather arrives. At Plumbing Emergency Rescue, we know just the difference it makes to winterize your outdoor pipes in an effort to save them from freezing, and this is something we often recommend. Continue reading →