How to Safely Handle a Plumbing Problem While Waiting for a Professional

The nature and severity of a plumbing problem determine whether it is an emergency. Typically, a break in a pipe, a large leak, or a sewage backup is a plumbing emergency that demands immediate attention to avoid extensive damage. If a problem has the potential to cause flooding, water damage, or health hazards, it qualifies as an emergency. Yet, many plumbing problems, like the slow drain in my kitchen sink, might seem severe but are not true emergencies. While some problems require professional attention, other plumbing issues are easily contained and repaired with a few simple steps.

If you face difficulties with a plumber who is not performing up to par, begin by talking to them about the problem. Be clear and calm, and discuss with them the specific issues you are having. Should this fail to resolve the issue, think about taking photos or writing descriptions of the problems to create a clear picture of your evidence. You might also need to look over reviews or references for work they've done prior if that hasn't been done already. Should the issues continue, it might be necessary to reach out to the company they work for or a pertinent trade association to lodge a complaint or pursue a resolution. In rare instances, you may have to obtain legal counsel or work with local consumer protection groups. Be certain that any contracts or promises are recorded in writing.

The duration needed to repair a plumbing problem depends on the kind and complexity of the issue. You can resolve straightforward or simple problems quite quickly. A clogged drain, for example, might take a skilled plumber an hour or so to clear. The same could be said for an easy-to-fix leak in a faucet. Keep in mind, however, that a problem with your plumbing system could just as easily turn out to be a minor symptom of something much bigger. If you neglected to call a plumber until the issue had escalated, it might take him or her a good portion of a day (or two) to sort everything out.

The item that typically fails the most in residential plumbing is the toilet. They see a lot of action and can have a number of different problems, including clogs, leaks, and running water. Given all these possible scenarios, it’s very important to know how to turn the water off to the toilet and to use a plunger for managing minor clogs that can't wait for the plumber to show up and do the job right.

An emergency plumber's response time can vary quite a lot, depending on some pretty basic factors: where you are, what time it is, and how many other people are currently demanding plumbing services. The usual goal for emergency plumbing is to get there within 1 to 2 hours. Still, peak times (like early mornings and weekends, when a lot of people are home and using their bathrooms) can stretch that out. Conversely, if your area is pretty far off the beaten plumbing path, you might see longer response times during your emergency than if you were in a big city with lots of roaming plumbers.

Figuring out who is responsible for resolving plumbing problems is not always straightforward; it depends on the particulars of each situation and the agreements in place. If you are a homeowner, you are almost always responsible for the upkeep of your plumbing system, which includes any repairs to your system that are needed due to malfunctioning parts or (what's more common) human error in the installation of system parts. If you are a renter, your landlord almost always has to take care of any plumbing problems that arise in your unit, unless, that is, you have neglected/abused the plumbing system, in which case, you might be liable for the repairs. In condominiums or homeowner associations, the rules are a lot less clear, and in many ways, the residents make up their own rules as they go along.

An emergency plumber can charge a number of different costs depending on quite a few factors. These include the geographical location of the plumbing issue, the time of the call (with after-hours or weekend calls incurring a higher price), and the plumbing problem's severity. Most often, you should expect a bill that's around the median price of $100 to $350 for an emergency plumbing visit. However, if something really serious or complex is going on (and "going on" tends to be the key phrase for plumbing problems), you might be looking at a visit that could easily exceed $350.

Depending on how badly the sewer line is clogged, it can be an emergency situation. This is especially true if you start to see multiple drains backing up, smell sewage odors, or see wastewater coming from a plumbing fixture. In these cases, you must act promptly to avoid major damage and possible health hazards. We asked our experts how to handle these situations when a pro can't come right away. They suggest stopping the use of water fixtures, clearing debris from around the problem area, and taking care to not use any plumbing that might push more water toward the problem.

Roto Rooter usually does not give a standard price for urgent plumbing problems because many variables affect the cost. The costs can change with location, with the time of day or night the plumbing emergency occurs, and with the number of hours the job takes and the kind of issue it is. For a more definite idea of what you might have to pay, try calling your local Roto Rooter branch.

Service call fees for plumbers are generally between the amounts of $50 and $150. These fees account for the labor involved in coming to the site and the travel expenses incurred en route to the job. They also factor in the kind of job it is—some just take more time to do than others. And they're almost always applied before any extra labor costs or parts expenses are added. Of course, rates can and do vary based on several elements, including but not limited to: