What to Do Before Calling the Calgary Plumbing Professional

All Calgary homeowners have experienced their fair share of plumbing emergencies at some point in their lives. When you are in such an emergency, your whole world stops since you have to attend to it right away or risk more damage to your home or belongings. Regardless of the time of the day, you have to deal with the problem at once. But there are still some measures you can take before you grab the phone and dial Mr. Mike’s Plumbing (403) 520-2040. It will allow you to save cash, time, and from more frustration.

Your objective is to ensure that you remedy the issue as conveniently as possible by hiring Calgary plumbers at a reasonable price. There are some things you can do beforehand to save cash and have the issue fixed in the best possible way.

ENSURE THAT THE WATER IS SHUT OFF

The majority of plumbing disasters involve a leaking pipe or an obstructed one. Leaks can be damaging to your home. You need to turn the water off right away to prevent turning your home into a man-made pool. If there is no valve at the site of the leak, turn off the entire water supply at your home where your water meter is at.

If the leak is by your sink, locate the valve below it and remember to shut off both the hot and cold water valves. If ever your toilet is spilling water, locate the valve below your toilet and shut it off. It will stop the leak right away until your reliable Calgary plumber gets there.

CLOGS

If your toilet does not drain, utilize a plunger to remove the object that causes the blockage. Make it a point that when you are utilizing your plunger, ensure a good and tight seal in between your plunger and your drain’s opening so you can establish the vacuum that will dislodge the object. It is usually effective since most clogs are not that serious.

During circumstances when your plunger does not seem to work, you can make use of a chemical drain solution that you can purchase in most supermarkets and pour the solution down your drain. Try this trick first to see if it will work. You have to exercise caution, though, especially when it comes to its fumes since it is harmful to your lungs. Some homeowners make use of boiling water, but it will likely melt your plastic pipe.

Then, there are those homeowners who keep a handy tiny drain snake specific for such plumbing emergencies. It is efficient in reaching down your drain and removing the clog that’s been obstructing it all along. Most of the time, it is just your hair.

CAN YOU PUT IT OFF UNTIL MORNING?

If you ever require the services of a plumber in the dead of the night, you’ll surely pay for more. Assess your situation and determine if you can put off calling a Calgary plumber tomorrow morning instead. If your problem is an overflowing toilet, but you managed to shut the water off, you can safely put the matter on hold until the morning. Just make sure not to flush your toilet once more. You can put off any isolated incident as long as your water is shut off.

Try brushing your teeth in the kitchen sink instead, if your bathroom sink is out of use. You can save a big amount of money by following this simple tip. The same thing also applies to emergencies during Sundays or important holidays. So, first establish the urgency of your emergency and reconsider calling the plumber in the morning instead rather than asking him to come over at night. It is impractical to ask a Calgary plumber to go to your home at three in the morning when you can still use your extra bathroom or sink and put the matter off until the morning. After all, a dollar you save is a dollar you can spend on other things.

You’ll spend more on service calls at night, during a holiday or a weekend. But when you do make the decision to phone for help, ensure that you are aware of the plumber’s fee. Also, know how much more they charge for 24-hour emergency calls. Inquire as to when the clock begins to tick on their bill, and if it begins as soon as they are out of their shop, or right when they get to your home. Take note of all of these, so you can ask the plumber about it once he gets to your home and before starting the actual work.

PHONE YOUR WATER COMPANY FIRST

The issue is not your financial obligation most of the time. If the leak is secondary to a break in the service line or mainline, it is your water company’s obligation to fix it. If there is an obstruction in the sewer, let them take care of it too. Your water company will usually attend to the problem right away if it is a real emergency situation. It is why it is more sensible to phone them first to inquire the scope of their responsibility and how they can help you.

LIST DOWN ALL THE REPAIRS THAT YOU NEED TO ATTEND TO

So that you can save on cash and your time, ensure that you check all your toilets, pipes, and sinks before calling the plumbing. If you can get everything done in one go, you can certainly save time and cash by having everything fixed in one plumber visit.

Before the plumber arrives at your home, enumerate all the plumbing concerns in each of the rooms of your house. It is important, so your plumber can determine what problems you have and to know how much work needs to be done before he gets started.

CLEAN UP YOUR HOME BEFORE THE PLUMBER GETS THERE

You must clean up your home and ensure that the plumber will have ample space to move around, along with his equipment, as he works on your home’s plumbing issues. Remove all your stuff from below the sink to give him a clear view of the area and to let him move around freely. It is practical that you clear up space for him since you are paying him for every minute he stays inside your home.

Ensure that he can go back and forth your hallway and that your bicycles and other stuff are not on his way or his equipment and since you are on the aspect of cleaning already, take advantage of it to throw away unused stuff and make your home a cleaner and more appealing place.

HIRE A LICENSED PLUMBER

The first and most important thing you want to ask your plumber before he starts working is whether or not he has insurance. Also, if he has a license to operate in Calgary or whatever city your home is located. With the help of the World Wide Web, you can check for the validity of his license number and if he is running a legitimate operation.

Do not dilly dally and bother your handy neighbor with your plumbing issues. You may be able to save time, but you might trigger an even bigger problem instead. Ensure that your plumber is legitimate if he has a license, insured, and bonded, or else, you’ll assume full responsibility for any untoward consequences of the repair. It is possible that something terrible can happen, and a certified plumber with the right coverage will save you from any headaches and assume full responsibility for it.

Once you have phoned your plumber and established your appointment, make it a point to swap your mobile phone numbers in the unfortunate event that he gets lost or comes in late.You can conveniently call or text him to check if he is indeed coming.

WHEN YOU CALL AN EMERGENCY PLUMBER

If you are experiencing a real emergency and you cannot put it off until tomorrow, ensure that you write down all the data before calling them. Be accurate as you explain your problem. Ensure that you know what works and what don’t. List down all your questions and have it with you while talking to him. For instance, these are his license number, insurance coverage, rates, and when their clock starts ticking, and so on.

• Call a couple or more plumbers–go online and look for some nearby plumbers and make a comparison of their rates before finally setting up an appointment with the plumber of your choice.
• Describe your plumbing problem thoroughly –for them to be able to give you a precise estimate of the cost, tell them all the important details of the problem inasmuch as you can.
• Ask for their quote –they will eventually charge you for the emergency service call in spite of the scope of their actual work, even if they do something or nothing at all. Determine how much it will cost you.
• Check if you can secure an estimate for any of the repairs that you need –they usually want to know the scope of the work first before they can give you an estimate. But try if they can give you an idea as to how much he will charge you for the repair. Describe your problem and inquire how much they charge for it. For example, how much is it to unclog a clogged toilet.
• Try your best to reach the plumber himself –at times, an answering machine or a paging service will take your call after office hours. If that is the case, inquire if the plumber can call you back so that you can personally speak to him about the matter. You will get a chance to ask him your questions yourself before finally asking him to come over your Calgary home.

If you try to follow our suggestions whenever you face a plumbing issue at home, you’ll find out that there is no need to phone the plumber at all, all the time. The important point you have to bear in mind is to ensure that you shut off the water before doing anything more. If you have issues with rusty pipes in your home’s exterior, it is highly advised to ask a licensed Calgary plumbing professional to fix the problem for you. Do not be foolish and dig up your yard to save money since you might face even bigger problems you did not have previously.