No, it isn’t Halloween yet, and neither have we lost our collective minds. We’re thinking of what happened to some Toronto homeowners in December 2013 when a doozy of an ice storm struck the city. Residents in some areas ended up without power for up to 9 days. Others experienced flooding as soon as the ice began to thaw. You don’t need a natural disaster to turn your home into a house of horrors, though; all it takes is a hot water heater that needs attention, a blocked drain or a clogged toilet to send you reaching for the phone to call a 24-hour plumbing service.
Hot Water Heater High Jinx
Your hot water heater can burst at any time, which can result in a fairly violent explosion. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen very frequently, but you can bet when it does it will occur at the most inconvenient time possible. It’s usually the result of a failed thermostat, which causes the water to heat up past boiling point. The heater then typically boils over, causing a potential flood in the basement where it’s located. When enough steam and pressure build up inside the heater, it can either burn out and shut down or it can burst. Either way, you’re going to need help fast, if you want to avoid basement flooding problems and property damage.
Dire Drain Dramas
Blocked drains don’t only cause you inconvenience; they can be an active health risk. Whether you have a reason for concern depends on the reason for the blockage. If it’s simply left from falls that is built up and trapped in drain it isn’t a serious problem. If your drain is blocked as a result of a backup from your municipal sewer, however, that’s a different story altogether. This usually happens when a combination of things occur, such as:
- Heavy rainstorms, resulting in rising groundwater and municipal sewers
- A faulty backflow prevention valve that doesn’t shut off and prevent the sewer water washing into your drainage system
- Debris from either the sewer or your drain getting stuck in the pipes as the waters recede, trapping the foul water on your home’s side of the blockage
- Pesticides and other substances in the drains create fumes that come into your home.
Not only are you unable to get rid of the blockage but you have noxious odors to deal with, too. This might be a situation that can wait for the next day, or you might need to consult with a 24-hour plumbing service.
Torrid Toilet Trouble
Most freestanding Toronto homes have more than one toilet these days, so it’s a rare occasion when a blocked toilet results in the need to call an emergency plumber. In older homes, however, the bathrooms are often installed on the same side of the home to maximize the efficiency of the piping, and if the blockage is in the pipes leading from the lowest toilet location you could find it affecting your entire household. It’s really inconvenient to have two adults and three children all trying to get ready for work and school in the morning and none of the toilets are working.
Don’t wait until you have any of these emergencies to research and identify a 24 hour Toronto plumbing service. The closer the company is to your location, the faster their team will be able to get to you. Make a note of the after-hours contact information somewhere safe, so you can locate it in a hurry without giving it too much thought.
