As a homeowner, its typical for a water pipe to burst or leak water. Leakages are bound to occur at one point or another no matter how well a faucet or pipe was installed. Faucet leakages and pipe bursts happen by accident or when there is some damage to your water system. Pipe bursts need to be looked into immediately as they are emergency situations. Water can do much damage to electronics and wooden structures in the surrounding area.
Know your Options
Learning about your options for such an emergency situation helps you escape dealing with plumbers who charge too much for their services. When you know which plumber to contact in such a situation, you save yourself a lot of stress and inconvenience. If you face such an emergency, try to remain calm to quickly work through what you need to do next without going into a panic attack.
Confusion and being uninformed in such an emergency may lead you to contact unprofessional plumbers who might not know how to handle the situation. Knowing how plumbers bill their services helps you avoid surprises since some may have exorbitant rates. Normally, plumbers charge by the hour or based on the job they have done. One consistent emergency plumber helps you build a working relationship. It makes it easy to have them come over when you have an emergency. Make sure that the plumber you contact is a certified professional who is guaranteed to take care of the repair efficiently. In case there is a broken unrepairable part, inform them about is so that you come with a spare part.
Before the Plumber Arrives
First of all, if a pipe burst in your house, you should turn off the water immediately to limit the water damage. Once this is done, then you can contact your plumber without worrying about any further damages. Try to explain the solution clearly, so he or she will know the tools to bring to the site. Once the call has been made, you can assess the area to see if there is anything that can be saved from damage by hanging it out to dry.
Shut off valves that temporarily stop water supply into the house are usually located outside the house under a rectangular slab, next to your water meter. Local water departments provide such valves in case such an emergency arises. The rectangular slab should be on your sidewalk or the pavement. Use a crescent wrench to shut off the valve as it’s not possible to do so with just your hands.
In case the pipe that has burst is one that is connected to toiled or water heater, you should shut them off individually and not the whole house’s supply. Toilets usually have shut off valves on the wall at its base while water heaters have theirs located along the pipes going in and out of it.
Choosing the right Plumber
Choosing the right plumber might seem like an uphill task seeing as there are so many of them today. The best way to settle for the right choice is to make a list of plumbers you feel satisfy your requirements and then work your way down to the best one on the list. You can review plumbers based on;
• Their pricing
• Their availability
• Their proximity to where you live.
• Whether or not they are a 24-hour plumber
Emergencies need to be taken care of urgently; you want a plumber who can get to your place as fast as possible. As you narrow down on your best choice, make sure the one you decide on is a 24-hour plumber so that they can get to you whenever an emergency situation hits.
Website Reviews
Another way to know more about a plumber is to visit websites that deal with plumbing services. With today’s fast-paced world, you can quickly know whether or not a plumber is good at what they do by reading reviews from clients. Websites give much valuable information about the services a company provides and how they charge their services. Majority of companies have a site which is an extension of their business with their contacts enlisted therein. You do not have to walk up to their offices to know about the services plumbing provide. This kind of convenience allows you to browse through your options at your own time. Sorting this out makes it easy to deal with pipe bursts whenever they happen.
Referrals
You can consults with friends and family for whatever recommendations they have. Real estate agents and contractors are also sure to have references for plumbers they meet in their line of work. Another good place to visit for referrals is a plumbing material supplier shop or a local home improvement store. The Handy American contractor directory comes in hand in helping you narrow down as the information it provides is authentic.
Why you need to Research before making a choice
Pre-qualification of plumbers before hiring is necessary because plumbing services offered by non-professionals can end up messing up your water supply system. Water is an essential element for every home and wrongfully handling repairs may contaminating the water or creating worse problems. The internet goes a long way in providing valuable information, all you need is to type in a plumber’s name in a search engine to find out more about the services offered.
Remember to be specific with your searches so that the results narrow down on the details you are looking for. Your search query should include keywords like say ‘review’ for more precise results.
Remember to proceed with caution when you use reviews to determine the skillset and experience of a plumber because one could easily source out positive reviews to build on their reputation. There is great power in positive reviews and manipulation of information to suit one’s needs is not unheard of. Negative reviews, on the other hand, are hardly ever faked unless there is malicious intent. Pay keen attention to complaints of clients as the majority of them may be true.
You should also check for complaints from clients about a specific plumber. Better Business Bureau and your local state licensing boards are good places to check with for any complaints about a specific plumber. Other than positive reviews and complaints, asking a plumber for referees is a good way to judge the work they do. A good plumber should have several referees to give and have no problem doing so when his or her works stands on its own.
Plumbing Rates
Even though you would like to save money and go for plumbers with fair prices, good quality of service should always be your priority. Plumbing rates is an essential element when it comes to making a hiring decision. You need to understand the various billing systems used by plumbers and decide which one makes sense for you.
Conclusion
Emergency situations arise all the time. Having a go-to plumber helps reduce the stress that comes with dealing with a water leak. Make sure you pre-qualify a plumber before you decide on them. Doing in-depth research enables you to avoid having to deal with unprofessional plumbers.