Plumbing emergencies can be stressful when dealing with possible damage to your home and property. And since these plumbing issues often pop up when you least expect them, it’s vital to have an emergency plumbing service available 24/7 to assist you. At Sheely Plumbing Inc., we proudly provide emergency service to all of our Alto & Grand Rapids customers. Put our number on your refrigerator and remember to call when you have a plumbing problem you can’t handle.
If you’re sick of running out of hot water when you need it most, find out if a tankless water heater is a solution for you.
When to Call a 24 Hour Plumber
Not every plumbing problem requires a call to a professional plumbing contractor for help, but sometimes, the longer you wait, the worse things get. Here are a few common plumbing problems Alto and Grand Rapids, MI, residents face.
- Overflowing Toilets - A clogged toilet can quickly overflow when you flush it, which often means water and waste backing up into your home. To prevent clogged toilets, be mindful of what you flush. Don’t flush paper towels, sanitary napkins, tissues, or baby wipes down the toilet: only flush toilet paper and human waste.
- Blocked Drains - If your shower water is coming up around your ankles every time you shower, it’s likely because you have hair in your drains. If you don’t fancy pulling out hair and other debris from the drain, call us for help.
- Burst Pipes - When winter sets in, it’s not uncommon for pipes that are close to the outside to freeze and eventually burst. Call us immediately if you have a burst pipe to minimize the water damage it causes.
- Failed Water Heater - Whether your water heater makes strange noises or doesn’t provide you with hot water, our emergency service is ready to help fix your hot water woes.
If you experience any of the above emergencies, or any other plumbing situation that’s beyond your control, call us for help right away.
How to Know Your Water Heater Is Failing
It’s no fun expecting a hot shower to start the day only to find out you have nothing but cold water coming out of the tap. Your water heater is like any other appliance in that it has a finite lifespan and will eventually fail. Fortunately, you can watch for signs that your water heater isn’t well and call for repair or replacement before it fails. Here’s what to watch for:
- Strange noises like banging, rumbling, or gurgling coming from the tank.
- Rusty or discolored water.
- Metallic tasting water.
- Water that fails to get as hot as it did before.
- Water that takes too long to get hot.
- The hot water doesn’t last as long as it used to.
- You see water leaking from the bottom of the tank.
The average water heater lasts 15 years, so if yours is older than that, or exhibits any of the above symptoms, call us for an inspection.
A water leak can cost you thousands of dollars in wasted water. Check out our water leak detection service if you suspect a leak in your Alto or Grand Rapids home.
How to Prevent Pipes from Bursting
Around this part of the country, it’s not uncommon for the temperatures to drop well below freezing in winter. When that happens, many residents experience disaster from burst pipes. However, you can prevent many instances of bursting pipes with these simple tips.
- Keep garage doors closed, especially if you have supply lines there.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to let warm air in
- Let cold water drip from the faucet to prevent freezing.
- Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature day and night.
- Add insulation to attics, basements, and crawl spaces.
- Use pipe insulation where appropriate.