As with any form of emergency, plumbing emergencies often cause panic. This is because it is generally a foreign situation and therefore something you don’t know how to deal with. The most important thing to do in any kind of plumbing emergency, is to contact a professional plumber for help. Some things can be dangerous, so we would not advise trying to solve it yourself. Furthermore, some things may also be more serious than they look, which is why we recommend speaking to a plumber as soon as you notice anything unusual.

So, we thought we would talk about some of the most common plumbing emergencies, and what you should do if you find yourself encountering one of these…

Common plumbing emergencies

All plumbing problems come as an inconvenience, but it is important to know how to act and respond to them as well as how to spot them. The most common kind of plumbing emergencies we get called out to include blocked sinks, faulty boilers, leaks and blockages in the draining system. This covers a whole range of problems within this umbrella, and most problems will be fairly easy to spot. 

For example, if your toilet won’t flush properly, this could signify that there is a blockage in the drains. On the other hand, you might notice water leaking from some of the pipes in your home, or perhaps your boiler is not providing hot water or central heating. As soon as you notice anything like this, you should contact a professional plumber and seek their advice. Sometimes plumbing emergencies don’t look as bad from the outside as they really are.

What you should do if you have a plumbing emergency…

Plumbing emergencies can happen at any time, and they are not always necessarily down to any particular cause. How to act in a plumbing emergency ultimately depends on what the problem actually is. Therefore, we always strongly advise that as soon as you notice a problem, you should call a plumber street away so that they can offer their advice and come out to assess and fix the problem if necessary. You should not attempt to fix the problem yourself as this can in fact make matters worse, however there may be important steps to take before a plumber can get to you. 

If you have a plumbing emergency that involves water in any way, for example if you have a leak or if the problem is surrounding your toilet, sink, shower or pipes, you should turn off the water supply immediately. This ensures that the problem does not worsen before a professional is able to see to it. If you are unsure of the severity of the problem, we would always advise turning the water off straight away just to be on the safe side. 

Another common plumbing emergency is leaks. If you encounter a leak in your home, you should try and get this under control as best you can. Put things in place to collect the water and stop it from spilling out and causing damage within your home. Turning the water off is another way to lessen the impact of the leak. Furthermore, if you can see exactly where the leak is coming from, you could attempt to put some sort of temporary seal on it just to stop the flow of water from coming out. 

Although there are small things you can do to help the problem, you should never try to fix it yourself. This can make matters a lot worse and put you and your home at more danger. So, the main thing we advise during a plumbing emergency, is to listen to what the plumber is telling you. They may be able to offer quick solutions to calm the problem until they arrive, and they will be able to tell you what to do safely and effectively. 

All plumbing emergencies should be dealt with by professional plumbers. This ensures that the problem is dealt with properly and safely and that your home is no longer at risk. If they instruct you to do anything or provide them with any particular information, you should of course do this, however always leave the emergency to a professional plumber and stay calm.