Articles - Part 9

It’s Late At Night and Your Toilet Is Overflowing…Who Do You Call?

Toilet Repair after hours plumbing, toilet overflow

So, the worst has happened, and after a late night trip to the bathroom you find that your toilet has begun to overflow. This doesn’t have to mean waiting until the morning and exposing your bathroom to toilet water.

At Plumbing Emergency Columbus we can send a local plumber any time of day or night to make sure your toilet is in working order once again.

The toilet is the single most used fixture inside any home and when your toilet breaks is normally when you realize just how often it gets used during the course of a single day, so being without one is often extremely inconvenient. With overflow situations, this can even become dangerous, so we always recommend calling an emergency plumbing professional right away to have the issue sorted out as quickly as possible.

Dangers of an Overflowing Toilet

When a toilet overflows it quickly becomes apparent just what can be ruined or in dire need of a thorough cleanup after coming into contact with dirty toilet water. Bacteria and harmful germs can spread all throughout a bathroom as the moisture is allowed to spread, creating a messy situation that no homeowner wants to face.

Our professionals are on hand 24 hours per day to make sure that our customers’ needs are taken care of promptly, and this rings true even in the case of 2am toilet overflows!

Mold Growth

Not only is the moisture coming from your toilet filled with hazardous germs, but moisture in general coming into contact with walls or flooring can create a perfect home for mold. As water of any kind is allowed to seep into walls or flooring, the moisture present may remain long after you believe it’s been cleaned up, and this can allow mold to grow within your space. This mold can be damaging to both your home and your health, so it’s always best to remedy situations of a surplus of moisture right away.

We want to provide our customers with a solution to their plumbing problems, and this certainly includes toilet overflows, no matter what time of day or night they may encounter them. There is no reason why a toilet should be left overflowing for any prolonged length of time, and our professionals can have your toilet running properly again quickly so you are met with the least inconvenience possible.

Call Us 24 Hours A Day When You Have A Plumbing Emergency

Emergency Plumber clogged sink, Clogged toilets

At Plumbing Emergency Columbus, we want to be there 24 hours a day when you find yourself with a plumbing emergency in your home. When an emergency occurs it’s rarely a convenient time of day, and we don’t believe that our customers should have to wait until business hours to get their plumbing under control and working smoothly once again. There are various types of plumbing emergencies you may run into, and our professionals can help to remedy them no matter which you may encounter.

Clogged toilets are one of the most common plumbing emergencies that we see and they are also coincidentally some of the most devastating. The toilet is one of, if not the, most used fixtures in your home and this means that it has many opportunities to become clogged or cease working correctly. When a toilet clogs, you may experience an overflow, and this overflow could cause for a pretty messy cleanup situation. If your toilet becomes clogged at any time of the day or night, you can call on us to have your toilet working as it should again right away!

A clogged sink is another problem we encounter often and it’s important to get your sink back up and running again in order to avoid a complication in your daily activities. Tooth brushing, hand washing, dish washing, and cooking are all done with the aid of your sink, but a serious clog can stop these daily activities in their tracks. Our professionals can help to figure out just what is causing your sink clog, and we can help you to get your sink running again before it becomes a serious schedule hindrance!

An even more serious concern than clogged toilets or sinks is leaky toilets or sinks, and this is an emergency that we feel should be taken care of as soon as possible. A leaky toilet or sink may seem like no big deal at first, until you realize just where this moisture is going, and a simple drip can lead to serious mold growth or water exposure to wires. If you begin hearing a “drip, drip, drip” coming from your toilet or sink, you can speak to one of our professionals 24 hours per day and we can come out to remedy the problem once and for all.

How To Prevent A Plumbing Emergency With Your Hot Water Heater

Water Heater Service gas water heater repair

A gas water heater Your hot water heater or boiler can make it so you have hot water at any time, whether you’re looking to wind down with a hot shower after a long day or simply keep your hands clean while going about your daily business.

However, when a hot water heater breaks, you’re suddenly left without the hot water you need, and we at Plumbing Emergency Columbus know how much of an inconvenience that can be.

There are ways that you can prevent a hot water heater emergency in your home and we feel that this is important information to know for all of our regional customers.

With hot water heaters a simple problem can turn disastrous very quickly and there are ways that you can normally stop these issues from progressing until a professional comes to investigate and remedy the problem.

For instance, if you find that your water heater is leaking, we recommend turning off the water coming into the tank to avoid further leaking and further damage. With many hot water heaters, a shut off valve dedicated to shutting off cold water from entering the tank should be located on the unit, and placing this valve in the off position can help you to prevent a problem from becoming a serious emergency.

If your home is heated using gas, or your hot water heater is simply heated using gas, it’s important to take action if you smell gas in the vicinity of your heater. Leaking gas can be dangerous no matter where it may be coming from, and this is no exception with hot water heaters, so we at Plumbing Emergency Columbus recommend making sure that gas line is turned off until the hot water heater can be tended to by a professional. On the gas line going to your hot water heater, there should be another valve that allows gas to reach your unit for heating, and we suggest turning this valve into the “off” position until a professional can assess the situation.

As hot water heaters age, they will begin to deteriorate, just like any other fixture in the home. However, there are steps that you can take to help these problems from becoming disastrous until a professional can come to fix the problem once and for all. We know how important your hot water heater is to your home, and our professionals are ready to take on your repair tasks.

The Hidden Dangers Of Leaky Water

Mold Remediation, Pipe Repair mold growth, pipe leak repair

A leaking faucet A tiny leak or a small occasional drip may seem like no big deal; it’s not really harming anything, right? However, what many homeowners don’t know is the hidden dangers of leaky water, and how even the smallest drips or leaks can translate into a hazardous situation.

Our professionals are well-versed in the dangers of leaking water, which is why we are available to call on 24 hours per day to fix pipe leaks before they turn into a more serious problem.

Leaky water will most commonly come from sinks, hot water heaters, or toilets, and perhaps even a combination of the three. Typically, they will first present themselves as an occasional drip difficult to spot, but the water accumulation they provide should be ceased all the same. Because these fixtures are those used within a household more often than any other throughout the course of any given day, they are given more opportunities to break down or malfunction, with leaks just being one common method of doing so.

When a leak is allowed to continue, or it goes unnoticed, water will begin to accumulate wherever the leak is located. A small amount of water may pose no threat, but as this leak continues the risk will become greater and greater.

The first risk posed is that of mold growth, and while some molds may be harmless, there are others which are particularly hazardous to your health. Mold loves a moist, warm, and dark area to call its home, and underneath sinks, in basements, or behind toilets just so happens to be a prime piece of mold real estate.

Mold can exasperate respiratory conditions such as asthma, worsen allergies, or even complicate cardiac disorders, so it’s always important to put a stop to mold growth even before it occurs.

On top of mold growth, a leaky pipe can also expose your wiring to water, which can lead to electrical fires. When wires have been exposed to excess moisture, they can begin to malfunction, and this malfunctioning can be devastating to your family and your home. We put a stop to these leaks as quickly as possible so your family’s risk is eliminated.

Finding A Plumber After Hours

Emergency Plumber after hours plumber

After hours plumber working on water heater When something goes wrong in the home, it rarely ever happens during a convenient hour, and our knowledge of this is what inspires us to be there for our Columbus customers 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.

Plumbing is one of the most commonly used facets of a home, as its job is to keep your water and your toilets running at all times, so this leaves a great deal of time for things to go wrong. As pipes or plumbing fixtures break down after years of use, you never know when a plumbing emergency may occur, so it’s always best to do your research and know who to call if something happens after hours.

We are always available to our local customers, and this statement rings true whether your plumbing emergency occurs at 2am or 2pm. Plumbing emergencies can have serious consequences outside of a simple inconvenience, so we never want our customers to have to expose themselves to a plumbing emergency until business hours come around again.

One all too common scenario is a clogged toilet overflowing in the middle of the night. In these instances, your bathroom is being exposed to what is often dirty toilet water flowing out of the bowl and onto your carpet, flooring, and fixtures only to reach the corners of the room and possibly be exposed to the walls or baseboards.

During toilet overflows, water can also seep down through vents and reach your ventilation system, which can then cause a myriad of problems on its own. If you find yourself in such a situation, you’ll want to have the water stopped and your toilet fixed as soon as possible, even during after hours, and we are here to call on.

If you find yourself with a plumbing emergency after hours, you’ll need an after-hours plumber, and we are always here to help in your Columbus area home!

How To Know If Your Plumbing Problem Is An Emergency

Emergency Plumber clogged toilet, leaking pipes, toilet overflow

burst pipe repair When it comes to plumbing problems, it’s important to take every situation seriously and to know if you’re experiencing an emergency which should be taken care of straight away.

One seemingly small plumbing problem that should always be treated as an emergency is leaking pipes, and these pipes could come from your toilet, your sink, your hot water heater, or anywhere within the home.

If you think you hear a telltale “drip, drip, drip” it’s important to investigate where the sound may be coming from, and to determine if you have a leaking pipe in your home, as this water can create a far more dangerous situation rather quickly. Leaking water can lead to exposed wires as well as mold growth, two situations that can rapidly become hazardous to you, and your family’s, health and safety.

fixing a clogged toilet A clogged toilet may not seem like an emergency at first, but it can quickly get to that point, which is why we feel that clogged toilets should be fixed as quickly as possible.

A clogged toilet will most often first present you with an annoying inconvenience, as your fixture won’t be able to be used until its flowing freely once again, but the accidental use of the toilet can then create a situation where the toilet begins to overflow.

When a toilet overflows, you will then be exposed to used toilet water, thus allowing germs and bacteria to spread within your bathroom and beyond.

When you’re faced with a plumbing problem, it’s always best to contact the professionals before it turns into an emergency. Call us for 24 hour emergency plumbing services when you have any of the above mentioned problems.

Why Should You Call A Local Plumber For Boiler Repairs And Replacements?

Boiler Service DIY boiler repair

Boilers are some of the most efficient heating and ventilation systems compared to furnaces. That’s why a majority of homeowners in Columbus have boilers installed in their homes in this day and age.

Even though the initial cost of installing a boiler is high, the homeowner could benefit from such an investment over time. Just like any other appliance in your home, a boiler is also prone to malfunction with regular usage. That’s why it is important to implement an effective preventive maintenance routine to prolong the lifespan of the boiler.

When you need boiler repairs or replacements in Columbus, you should look for professional help at all times. In fact, boiler repairs, replacements, and installations are a highly specialized kind of plumbing. That is why you need a highly qualified and experienced local plumber to attend any repairs or replacements of boilers. Here is why you should call a local plumber for boiler repairs and replacements in your home.

Carbon monoxide exposure is one of the risks that you will expose yourself by using do-it-yourself – DIY – methods to repair or replace your boiler. Boiler repairs are complicated and dangerous most of the time. Unless you are a professional plumber who has the authority and certification to repair or replace a boiler, you shouldn’t try to repair them yourself. In fact, a boiler technician has to inspect the entire system of the boiler before engaging in any sort of repairs.

This will help mitigate the risk to some extent and prevent any emergency situation during the repair work. That is why you should avoid risking you and your family’s safety just to save a few bucks and call a professional local plumber to handle boiler repairs and replacements at all times.

Boiler repairs and installations take several years of training and experience by a professional and certified boiler technician. A seasoned boiler repair technician has extensive experience and a full understanding of the mechanisms of a boiler and how the equipment works. Hence, a professional plumber will offer a quality service and guarantee the safety of the unit. Since these professionals are well versed in boiler repairs and installations, they can do a quick job in repairing or replacing a boiler.

A professional plumber always stays on top of safety regulations when attempting to repair or install a boiler in your home. They fully understand the protocols that regulate emissions. The system would release carbon monoxide emissions when not installed in a proper way. This may result in shutting down the system for good or hefty fines on your part.

A professional can certify that the boiler complies with the regulations in the area. You are exempted from having to deal with court orders or paying hefty fines to the local authorities when you decide to hire a professional local plumber to handle your boiler repair and replacement project.

Many homeowners are confused by the overwhelming amount of DIY boiler repair and replacement information on the internet. Hence, most of them think that installing or repairing a boiler is a DIY project. You may find many DIY videos for this purpose. But boiler repair is not for an inexperienced homeowner.

Boilers are relatively expensive appliances in the home. Hence, the repairs and installation of such a unit are best left to a professional local plumber who specializes in boiler repairs and replacements. These machines come with sensitive and complicated mechanisms that can be easily damaged beyond repair. That is why an inexperienced homeowner shouldn’t meddle with the boiler or consider DIY methods to repair or replace the boiler unit.

You will get a more personalized service on the boiler system when you hire a professional to perform the repair or installation job. In fact, from diagnosing the fault to everything that is done to the point where the boiler functions properly, a professional local plumber will offer a highly personalized service. These technicians can check to see if all delivery pipes and radiators are functioning effectively. That way you get a better service when you hire a professional plumber to repair or replace the boiler in your home. On the other hand, most homeowners are used to getting their boilers serviced once a year. But you should increase the frequency of maintenance to at least two services per year to prolong the lifespan and efficiency of the system. This will reduce emergency repairs and encourage smoother functioning of the boiler in the long run.

If your boiler is malfunctioning because it is old, you should consider replacing the entire unit compared to repairing it. A new heating system will help save energy costs each month. The current system may lose its efficiency due to the age of the unit. Hence, you may have noticed an increase in your energy bills since the last few months or so. If you are facing this kind of situation in your home, you should consider replacing the boiler with a modern energy saving unit. The new units are more efficient and will operate with less energy compared to the older models. They will increase the savings on your monthly energy bills.

Also, the newer models come with a smaller carbon footprint compared to the older units. New units use less energy to produce more results in a short time. There is nothing more frustrating than having a heating system that requires constant repairs. That is why you need to shift to a new system by calling a professional plumber to replace the old boiler in your home. They are more reliable and efficient over time.

Looking for a professional and experienced local Columbus plumber who specializes in boiler repairs and replacements is not an easy task. There are hundreds of plumbers in the area. That’s where your extensive research becomes so important. Make sure you do the homework before calling a reliable local plumber to handle all your boiler repairs, replacements, and installations in your home.

The Sump Pump: What Is It? Why Is It Important?

Emergency Plumber, Uncategorized sump pump

A sump pump in a basement While a lot of homeowners and renters are vaguely aware of the existence of “sump pumps,” a lot of us aren’t exactly clear on what they are and what they do.

The term tends to come up mainly in the context of a sump pump failure, and that lends the entire subject a scary aura. But rest assured, an effective sump pump is a really good thing to have! To learn the fundamentals about what a sump does, why it’s important, and even how to fix basic sump issues, just read on!

Sump pumps come in a range of different types. Some are permanently mounted in your home while others are portable. There are certain fundamentals that are common to all varieties of sump pump.

All sump pumps have the same purpose: They’re intended to prevent flooding by getting rid of any excess water collecting in the lowest level of your home. They also all run on electricity (though some may get that electricity from an independent generator).

Not every home has a sump pump. It’s a good idea to poke around and figure out whether or not you have one BEFORE you have a flood to deal with. If your home has a basement, look for a circular cover set into your floor, a little smaller than a manhole. This is where you’ll find a built-in sump pump if you have one.

Sump pumps can fail for a number of different reasons. One of the most common failures is simply losing access to the electricity the pump needs to run. This can get all too dangerous, because the same sort of extreme weather that might create a flood risk is also likely to knock out your home’s connection to the electrical grid. This is why a battery backup for your sump pump makes a great investment.

Your sump pump might also be knocked out of action by debris buildup. In most cases, you can fix this yourself by cleaning the pump out.

A lot of sump pump designs are triggered by a float switch, not unlike the float in the water tank of a toilet. If the switch breaks or gets jammed, your sump pump might not turn on at the right times. This is another problem that’s usually within most homeowner’s do-it-yourself capabilities.

Another handy preventative investment is a sump pump alarm. This will let you know when your pump starts and stops. It can be a good idea to install one because most pumps are extremely quiet when they’re working and entirely silent when they’re not. You don’t want to wait until your basement starts flooding to find out your sump pump is broken.

A sump pump, like all the other parts of your home’s plumbing system, can develop problems that you don’t feel comfortable or capable of fixing yourself. When you have such a situation, calling in a professional plumber to repair or replace your pump is the right choice. We strongly recommend investing in a battery backup and an alarm for your sump pump; they cost far less than cleaning up an undetected flood caused by a failed sump pump.

If your sump pump is crying out for professional help and it’s located anywhere in the Columbus area, call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Learn How To Fix a Constantly Running Toilet

Toilet Repair diy toilet repair

toilet repair services If your toilet is running all of the time, then your stress levels are likely rising every time you hear or see it.

Just the sounds of a toilet running constantly can make you pull out your hair.

On top of the never-ending noise, your brain keeps reminding you of the money that’s getting wasted along with the water. No homeowner can be happy with a running toilet.

Fortunately, this is something that even basic DIY homeowners can handle.

You just to be somewhat patient and know a few helpful hints, which are offered to you here if you keep reading.

Fix Your Flapper

Not sure what the flapper is? It’s the specific piece that controls water flow both on and off anytime the toilet gets flushed. One possible issue is when the flapper gets stuck open. Another possible source of your difficulty is when a flapper gets cracked or has a broken seal. In any of these circumstances, water is going to keep flowing into your toilet bowl, even at times that it’s not supposed to do so.

Watch your flapper when you flush your toilet to see if it winds up sticking opening. Make the necessary adjustments. To determine if a replacement is necessary, try pressing down on it as you flush. If this additional pressure is able to stop the flow, it’s time to put a new flapper in. Most of the time, when you buy a new piece, it will come with installation instructions.

Issues With The Fill Height

Something else you can try is adjusting the fill height. There’s a line inside your toilet that should indicate where the water is going to fill up to. To begin, be sure that your fill valve is properly on. The next step is checking your float height. Your toilet might have its own ball float. If you want to adjust the height of it, then it should be possible to bend its arm so the float adapts to the position that you need for it to be.

If your toilet instead has a cup-type float, then getting the float to an appropriate level means moving the spring-clip fasteners. That ought to deal with the toilet running constantly. If it hasn’t, then keep moving down the list of possible problems.

Fix Your Toilet’s Fill Tube

When your toilet tank is filling up, water will flow from its fill valve and through its fill tube into its overflow tube. Your toilet’s fill tube is what helps manage the water flow, as it directs any excess water to get siphoned off into the overflow tube.

Water isn’t going to flow through appropriately if that tube gets cracked in any way. Also, the tube won’t even work if its end gets submerged under water.

If you want to fix your fill tube, you might just have to cut back some of the tubing. On the other hand, if there’s an actual crack, then you have to replace the tube with a new piece.

Plumbing issues of all sorts can be huge problems for a homeowner. We take pride in helping you immediately when needed, and you get the peace of mind of knowing your home’s plumbing is in capable and professional hands. Call us right away to schedule a drain repair service or get help with a plumbing emergency.

3 Red Flags That Are Signs That You Need To Hire A Plumber

Emergency Plumber clogged drain, water leaks

Out of all of the different types of home problems, some of the worst seem to be plumbing problems. Water leaks can create a lot of havoc and cause irreparable damage to a house. They can also increase the cost of monthly utility bills.

Fixing household water leaks that are easy to correct can, in fact, save homeowners around 10% on their water bills. The best thing to do is to stay proactive and search for signs of any plumbing issues before any major problems arise. The following are just a couple of red flags that are an indication that it might be time to call a plumber.

Noise That Sounds Like Running Water

Hearing the sound of water flowing when somebody is using water in your house is normal. However, if you don’t something might be wrong. Walk around your house and search for signs of leaks such as brown spots on floors, walls, or ceilings. If you are able to find the leak, feel the water to see what the temperature is. If it is warm water you can tell the plumber in advance so he won’t have to spend unnecessary time finding the leak.

If you still aren’t sure whether then noises coming from the pipes are normal, check your water meter for additional information. If the meter spins when water isn’t being used, then you definitely have a leak that needs to be addressed right away.

Slow Water Drainage

Whenever your drains get clogged with debris and hair, it will take a lot longer for them to properly drain. A majority of the time, purchasing a clog removal product at the store such as Draino can help to alleviate your clogged drain problem. However, if you notice your bathroom or kitchen sink has a clog that traditional methods do not solve, then you probably need to hire a plumber. If you try too hard to get a drain unclogged it can cause your pipes to become even more damaged.

Low Water Pressure

Having low water pressure can also be an indication of a like or another type of plumbing problem. Water pressure can sometimes be restored when the faucet’s aerator is cleaned out. However, if this problem persists, then more likely there is a more serious underlying issue, like an eroded water line, water leak, or fractured pipe. In those situations, it is best to leave any troubleshooting to the expertise of a professional plumbing contractor.

Ultimate, the best thing you can do to avoid these types of issues from turning into serious problems is to be proactive about your house’s plumbing system. Call our 24 hour emergency plumbing service for more information on plumbing services like toilet repairs.