As many of you know, getting emergency plumbing work done can be extremely expensive. What’s worse is that Murphy’s Law dictates that the emergencies always pop up at the most inopportune times. Pipes love to spring a leak at 2:00am while you and your family are asleep, or when you are all away on vacation. Luckily, with proper preparation, you can avoid those types of situations, most of the time.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you can avoid any possibility of experiencing an unforeseen plumbing problem, but there are steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of a disaster. The key is to discover and solve potential future problems before they become emergencies. The easiest way to do that is to find a skilled plumber that you know you can trust, and have him do a full home plumbing inspection.
First, look around your home for a simple issue that you can call a plumber out to address. A slow drain or dripping faucet is perfect. Once the plumber completes that first task, request that he does a full home inspection. Most plumbing companies will perform these inspections free of charge, if you have already paid for a repair.
Once the plumber has completed the inspection, he will likely come to you with a list of repairs that he feels should be made. The key here is to get an idea as to the severity and urgency of the repairs. A plumber that you can trust is vital here, because unscrupulous contractors will try to make the problems seem worse than they are. Either way, you will have the information that you need to get your pluming issues fixed before they become emergencies. Often, a plumber will offer you a discount to take care of multiple problems in one visit. If you don’t feel good about taking care of these issues right away, you at least know about them, and you can shop around for estimates.
Always keep in mind that the goal is to get all of the information that you need to make the necessary repairs that will keep your minor plumbing problems from turning into a catastrophe