Plumbing and heating are two areas of your home you never want to have an emergency in. Imagine it: a pipe burst in the middle of winter. Your entire downstairs living areas are completely drenched in water and your basement has a foot of dirty water. It’s a nightmare because you not only have to find the source of the leak, but remove the standing water, dry out the home, and repair the damage. If you’re lucky enough, your home insurance will cover the bulk of the costs. In the meantime, you need an emergency plumber. So, how can you hire a plumber during an emergency?
Search Online for Local Plumbers
Ideally, you’d have an emergency plumber in your phone book (the one you turn to for all your plumbing needs), but if not, it’s easier than you think to hire someone. Firstly, turn off the water if possible. When your home has a burst pipe or a leak, it’s important to stop the follow of water. Then, get out your computer or business directory and search for several local plumbers. You should take down several names and numbers. While you might be tempted to call the first name you see, don’t because that mightn’t be right for your situation. A plumbing and heating guide could help you source a few plumbers too.
Take a Quick Look at The Plumber’s Reputation
You have a plumbing emergency, but you need to take a breath and be smart about the person you call. It’s easy to hire a plumber that overcharges you and offers a less-than-5-star service. So, conduct a quick search online from the list of plumbers you’ve gathered. If there are any standout names, put them to one side. You want to look at the reputation of the plumber, along with the feedback, and costs – if they specify call-out costs on their website. When it comes to plumbing and heating emergencies, it’s crucial to hire someone that’s reputable and honest.
Speak to the Plumber
Depending on the scale of emergency, you want to talk to the plumber and get a quote from them. Now, if the problem isn’t getting any worse (you’ve managed to shut off the water) you could get several quotes to find the best professional for the job. You want to explain the problem to the plumber and ask if they could visit your home within the next few hours. You don’t want to sound panicked, however. Instead, employ a calm tone. Also, just because a plumbing and heating guide says most emergency plumbers can be at your property within the hour, that’s not always the case – not in real life anyway.
With a plumbing and heating emergency, you want someone to get to you as quickly as possible. That doesn’t mean waiting a week for them to inspect the problem or even 48-hours. Ideally, you want a plumber to get to you that day. Stress the point of the flood but don’t sound too desperate.
Calm Avoids the Drama
Plumbing emergencies are more common than you think, the trick is not to panic and hire a plumber that’ll charge you three or four times what the job is worth. Yes, you need someone to look at the home (preferably within the next 12-hours), but you don’t want just anyone. You want a professional that is honest and that quote a reasonable price for the work that’s needed. In a plumbing and heating emergency, stay calm and find a trustworthy professional.