Are You Have Plumbing Problems That Require a Professional?

You should have noticed that something was wrong. You incorrectly assumed, however, that your husband had simply overloaded the clothes washing machine again. As you sat in your chair by the fireplace completing some computer work before Monday morning rolled around again, you vaguely remember listening to the washing machine making a little more noise than normal. You ignored the noise, though, and simply kept on typing. It was not until you were bundled up and heading out the door to take your daughter to her voice lesson that you finally walked past the laundry room on the way to the garage. And while your husband, who was evidently exhausted from sorting and starting one load of laundry, was asleep and snoring on the couch you were the one to notice the water.
Evidently the noise that you heard was more that just the machine being a little off balance. A little more than an hour after the clothes washing load was started the laundry room floor was covered in ant least a half inch of water. You quickly called the plumber, woke up your husband, and ran out the door to get your daughter to her lesson. You promised to drop her off and come back and help clean up the mess.
Unfortunately, that is how most plumbing emergencies occur. You ignore a sound. You ignore a drip. You simply ignore something that seems small at the time. The next thing you know, however, and that small noise or small drip have turned into an emergency that requires the help of a plumber.
When Was the Last Time That You Needed to Call a Plumber?
In addition to the day to day problems that can occur in a house in the most normal of times, plumbing problems can be even more common when unexpected cold weather hits an area of the country that is not prepared. When, for instance, the temperatures in some parts of Northern Texas dipped into the single digits this holiday season, many home owners had to take precautions that they had never experienced before.
Did you know, for instance, that when the outside temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit water pipes in homes with little or no insulation are likely to freeze and break? The reality is that even a very small one-eighth inch crack in a pipe can spew out as much as 250 gallons of water a day. This amount of water is capable of destroying personal items, floors, furniture, and appliances. Left unattended or unnoticed, the leaking faucets or leaking pipes can seep from one floor down to the next, causing damage to drywall, insulation, and sometimes causing mold and mildew problems that may be unseen, but dangerous.
Consider these facts and statistics about the most common situations that can require a plumber:

• 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more every single day.
• finding a plumber to help fix easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10% on their water bills.
• 18,000 gallons of water a year can be saved if you install a low flush toilet.
• Even the most average household’s leaks can amount to 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year. This amount of wasted water equals the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry.
• 22% of all homeowners insurance claims involve water damage and freezing. Thee plumbing related claims average $4,024 a claim.
• So many people need plumbers that it has increased the demand for people in this career. In fact, demand for both plumbers and fitters is so strong that the number of people employed in these professions is expected to grow 21% by the year 2022. This percentage compares to the expected 11% increase across all occupations, according to statistics from the Labor Bureau.

Many tasks around the home can be completed by the owners themselves. When it comes to plumbing repairs, however, many problems should be left to the professionals. A small water problem can literally explode into a gigantic water mess if they are not properly addressed. Even the simple task of installing a dishwasher or clothes washer can cause significant damage if it is not done correctly.