Thursday 3 January 2013

How To Handle A Plumbing Emergency

A plumbing emergency is one of the most unnerving domestic situations that you will ever find yourself in. If a tap starts leaking or a toilet stops functioning, you can find yourself in quite a mess. Hence, you must look for a licensed emergency plumber who can help you out in case of a plumbing malfunction. The problem is that a 24hr plumber in Melbourne can be hard to find and they are pretty costly as well.

To avoid any problems, you can follow these steps in case of an plumbing related emergency:

1. Assess the situation and find out it it is an emergency after all. For instance, if one of the taps in the bathroom starts leaking profusely in the middle of the night, you might call the emergency plumber right away. On second thoughts however, you can think of short term alternatives which can last through the night. For starters, you can shut off the water supply to that particular bathroom or you could turn off the master pipe. This way, you can solve the problem, at least temporarily. In the morning, you can call your regular plumber to repair the tap.

Therefore, you must always weigh your options. Calling a plumber during odd hours is both inconvenient and expensive. If  there is some way of stalling the emergency, you must try to do so.

2. On the other hand, if the problem is more serious like an overflowing toilet, you must call for professional help right away. Before you place the call, figure out the nature of the problem. Look around the defective area for any visible discrepancies. If you have a fair idea about the problem, you can communicate it better to the plumber. This way, he can provide you a quote about the repair costs and amount of time the repairs will take. Additionally, the plumber will also know what tools and hardware to carry to fix the problem.

3. If you have never contacted a plumber during an emergency, you can look up some numbers in the yellow pages or on the internet. In fact, you can contact a couple of them and get estimates about the repair expenses. Ideally, you must do this way in advance, so that you are prepared for any nasty emergency.

4. Finally, do not panic. An overflowing toilet or a leaking tap can be quite a pain, but it can always be taken care of. Having said that, it is always a good idea to call for professional help in case of a major problem. Do not look for short cuts or DIY solutions. In the long run, they might cost you immensely.