What a plumber classes as an emergency call can be quite different to what a property owner warrants as a plumbing emergency. It’s very common to panic when things go wrong. But sometimes you can contain a hazard that has caused the plumbing emergency before calling a plumber. While we don’t encourage people to fix their own emergency plumbing issues, there are key responses you can undertake to prevent more damage and contain the issue. Before we explore what can be done before calling a Sydney emergency plumber, it’s important to know when a plumbing problem becomes a true emergency.
When to call a Sydney emergency plumber
A plumbing emergency is when the flow of water or waste cannot be contained using valves or fittings on site. For example, a burst pipe or water leak can be stopped by turning the water meter off to the building to stop the water supply. But this job can turn into an emergency when the water main WON’T turn off the water supply. In some cases, the local water authority will need to be called to replace the water meter, but in high-rises or houses where the main stop tap is maintained by the building owner, a plumber may need to be called to freeze the water line and install a new water tap to stem the flow of water to that leak. Time is of the essence in this situation as water can damage not only your property, but others who are in the line of the water leak.
Other plumber emergencies can be when effluent has backed up into the house through a drain or outside through the overflow relief gully. A back flow of sewerage is a serious health hazard and must be contained immediately. There are many reasons why sewerage can back up but generally it’s because there is a blockage. Your local licensed plumber should be the first point of call to remove the blockage so the sewerage flows through the sewer pipes where it belongs.
Steps to take when confronted with a plumbing emergency
The most common plumbing emergencies are water leaks and sewerage overflows. To contain the leak, turn off the water at the mains. It’s really important you familiarise yourself with where the water is turned off at your property. You don’t want to be madly searching when water is leaking through your house. Sewerage overflows require emergency plumbing. Often there is nothing that can be done to stem the flow of waste. Maintaining your sewerage system by getting blockages looked at as soon as they occur can prevent a back flow of sewerage. It’s also important to check that your property has an overflow relief gully which allows sewerage backups to flow outside your home rather than inside.
