Common Signs You Need an Emergency Pipe Repair
In Pittsburgh, emergency pipe repair for most people conjures up visions of a burst water pipe spewing gallons of water that’s causing some flood situation. Perhaps in the basement where the water is rising or a burst water line up in the attic causing a rainstorm in a room below.
But in reality, the vast majority of situations that call for emergency pipe repair in Pittsburgh involve water gradually leaking out of a tiny hole in a pipe. Often inside a wall or under or outside a home, it’s a leaking pipe that’s been causing a moldy or muddy area.
Then another scenario that many people don’t consider is a sewer line that’s become clogged, forcing gray water back up into a home with its odorous repercussions.
So the trick is to get ahead of emergency pipe repair and deal with it when it’s a minor emergency before it becomes a crisis. So for sure, water making its appearance where it shouldn’t be is a big red flag that left unresolved is an emergency pipe repair on the horizon.
Water leaks never just go away.
They won’t miraculously seal themselves up, and it’s not just the water in and of itself that’s the only problem. Instead, it’s the potential damage that the water can lead to that’s the real threat.
So the familiar smell of mold is something that always needs to be taken seriously, particularly if it’s in an area of the home or commercial building other than a bathroom where it would be least expected.
How Much Damage Can a Pinhole Leak Cause?
Once the water source is located, you may be surprised to see that it’s only a tiny crack or a pinhole leak. So then, just how much damage can a small crack or pinhole leak cause? The simple answer to that is a lot, and as stated above, it’s the mold or dry rot or warping floorboards that carry the potential to run up the final repair bill.
You can ignore things like warped floorboards or discolored areas on a ceiling, but if you ignore mold, you do so at your own risk. It’s not just black mold either you should be on the lookout for it because variations of orange and yellow mold can be just as toxic.
It’s only you and your family’s health to be concerned within your own home, though, because if you own a rental property, failure to act fast on a pinhole leak that’s causing a mold issue can leave you being held financially culpable for your tenants resulting health issues.
How do You Temporarily Fix a Leaky Pipe?
Often the first thing that comes to mind after a leak has been detected is how do you temporarily fix a leaky pipe? Short permanent solutions are always best, but in the meantime, the water needs to be stopped before it leads to severe damage.
So a straightforward solution that is decidedly not permanent is to locate the water main on the home or building and simply shut the water supply off. It’s important to know, though, that pipes in the house will still be filled with enough water to keep a pinhole leak dripping for some time if they aren’t drained.
So after a water main has been shut off, the next step is to open a faucet that is positioned lower on the building than the source of the water leak. It has to be lower, or water that’s remaining in the line above will keep the leak flowing.
DIY Pittsburgh Emergency Pipe Repair
Shutting off your water line does carry with it one glaring limitation. That is that while the leak will stop, so too does the water to the rest of your home or business. So there are other options available to do a temporary fix on a leaky pipe.
These options include a stainless steel wrap-around clamp that has an interior rubber lining that, once placed around a pipe and then screwed tight, will often work well in most cases.
Then some of the spray-on rubberized products advertised to stop leaks also work for a temporary fix on a dry low-pressure pipe.
But when it comes to high-pressure water pipes, permanently stopping a water leak can be decidedly more difficult to accomplish without the help of a professional.
When to Call a Professional for an Emergency Pipe Repair?
Because it’s an older city, Pittsburgh emergency pipe repair is not uncommon. Older buildings mean older cast iron pipes that rust away over time.
Old rusted cast iron pipes are by far the most difficult to do repairs on too because they become rusted together at connection joints.
The threads of those joints, when degraded by rust, are extremely difficult if not impossible to unscrew and replace old pipes with new pipes at old, degraded connection joints.
There are methods for attempting this but to do so calls for experience, specialized tools, and materials that a licensed expert Pittsburgh plumber brings to the job. So, for the most part, in Pittsburgh emergency pipe repair to effect, a long-term solution means calling in an expert.
How Much Does an Emergency Pipe Repair Typically Cost in Pittsburgh?
Cost is always a consideration, and this for sure holds true when it comes time for Pittsburgh emergency pipe repair. Having a pipe spring a leak in a home or business is bad enough, but then getting overcharged on the job only adds insult to injury.
So the key to keeping your repair bill down is to familiarize yourself with the options available and industry norms as best as you can, given the short notice. Then when it comes to a plumbing leak, replacing an aging pipe is always an option.
So take some time to learn about newer plumbing systems like PEX. The beauty of PEX is that it’s flexible, so it’s able to be threaded around obstacles and through walls, and that translates into savings on time and labor costs.