Irvine, CA, has a total population of 307,675. Plumbing issues are common in neighborhoods of busy cities like Irvine. What is a plumbing emergency? It’s any time you can see or smell sewage, which has seeped through your drains. You may need to call the emergency plumber immediately, because of one or more of these clues:
- Your toilet bowl is overflowing with wastewater.
- Your kitchen sink has standing water that doesn’t drain.
- Your bathroom begins to leak water on the floor while you’re taking a shower.
A sluggish drain that only partially carries away wastewater means there may be blockage further down the line—and this could be serious enough for a plumbing callout.
Blockage in any other drain (in any slow-moving water) means the wastewater isn’t moving as freely as it should. That means an emergency plumbing call is warranted, too.
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Your Toilet is Overflowing
Your toilet overflows, and the wastewater begins to seep through your drain. Anytime this happens, it’s a telltale sign you’ve got a plumbing issue—and the problem could be severe enough that an emergency callout is necessary.
Your toilet might overflow for several reasons, but before you try do-it-yourself solutions, call your plumber for an assessment of the situation. The quicker you call an expert plumber, the better chance there is that you’ll save both time and money on expensive repairs (or replacements).
Your Kitchen Sink Stops Draining
Whenever water doesn’t move down your kitchen sink drain as quickly as usual, or it backs up, it could be a sign that there’s a blockage somewhere between the kitchen sink and the sewer line.
Add to this any visible wastewater that doesn’t disappear down your drain—and you’ve got a good reason for an emergency callout!
Your Bathroom Begins Leaking Water During Your Shower
Water leaking from your bathroom ceiling or walls? This could mean there’s a slow leak in pipes running through your ceiling, but it can also signal other serious problems. Slow drainage in your shower, tub, or sink means increased pressure has to build somewhere (which puts pressure on nearby fixtures).
If you notice a reduction in your Irvine home’s water pressure while taking a shower, this may be the ‘squeaky wheel’ that gets you to call a plumber. If it’s not just a few drips from the showerhead, however, it’s going to be difficult—if not impossible—to fix on your own.
Your Toilet Bowl Starts Leaking
A toilet leaking from underneath its base is yet another telltale sign of looming plumbing problems ahead.
The leak is expensive to repair. Without immediate repairs, loosened bolts could let the toilet fall into your bathroom floor. Should this happen, you’re looking at a costly, maybe even irreparable, mess.
What to Do If the Toilet Bowl Starts Leaking
A malfunctioning toilet can be a severe hassle, especially if you have kids. On noticing your toilet bowl leaking, the first thing to do is tighten any bolts or screws that hold the base together.
If this doesn’t stop the leak (or you cannot find where the leak originates), it’s time to call in a local emergency plumber at the earliest. The tile and floorboards can get wet if wastewater seeps through.
Your Chests of Drawers Begin Sagging
Wooden furniture like chests of drawers should last for decades. When they start sagging in the middle, chances are there’s a problem with the floor joists that hold up said furniture.
If you notice the sagging, check if it is a sign of water damage, call your plumber immediately to avoid further structural damage.
You Notice Water Puddles or Stains on Your Basement Floor
Irvine gets around 12.1 inches of rain a year. Cases of basement flooding due to rain is rare in Irvine. If water puddles start appearing on your basement floor and there are no leaking appliances in the home—there could be an issue with your municipal sewer line.
As wastewater backs up into your home, there’s the possibility of significant damage occurring, which is why it’s recommended that you call a plumber immediately to see if the backup was due to clogs or leaks.
Wrapping Up
The reasons for the emergency call are twofold: first and foremost, you don’t want your home to flood with wastewater; and second—and equally important—sewage could cause a health hazard (with exposure to raw sewage, there’s a possibility of contracting E-coli or even Hepatitis). If you see any sign of water that doesn’t drain away quickly, don’t hesitate: pick up the phone and call your emergency plumber right away.