Overflowing Toilet Emergencies in Wisconsin
An overflowing toilet is enough to ruin anyone’s day. It’s not exactly pure mountain stream water that comes gurgling up all over the floor when this happens, which makes toilet emergencies all the more awful. There are a range of reasons your toilet may overflow, from your son or daughter flushing a toy to see what would happen, to a tree root that has slowly infiltrated a water pipe.
The good news is that in many cases, toilets give warning signs of trouble. A gurgling sound, for instance, can indicate an obstruction in the water line. If that sound is familiar to you, have a plumbing contractor from Southport Home Services come take a look at your toilet right away.
What to do in an overflowing toilet emergency:
- Shut off your toilet’s water supply valve. It’s almost always located under the tank at the back of the toilet. If the shut-off valve is stuck and you can’t turn it, take the cover off the top of the toilet’s water tank and push the rubber flapper down. If it won’t stay down, lift the ball-shaped float and use a ruler to hold it in place.
- Try plunging the toilet.
- Try using a plumbing snake, if you have one available.
- Squirt some dish soap into a gallon bucket of hot water and pour it into the toilet bowl. This can sometimes break up a clog.
- If all the above steps fail, call a plumber for emergency service.
Wisconsin Washing Machine Hose Emergencies
Look behind your washer and you’ll see two hoses running from the unit to two faucet-like fixtures coming out of the wall – these connect the water supply. Most washing machines are installed using rubber water lines. Trouble is that these rubber hoses have a service life of about 5 years. Over time, the constant pressure of water causes these hoses to fail. The first sign of this is usually a noticeable bulge. Remember, if your washing machine hoses that are more than five-years-old, or showing any bulging, they need to be replaced ASAP.
Having seen hundreds of emergencies caused by ruptured washing machine hoses, many plumbers recommend shutting off the water supply to the machine anytime you’re not using it. At Southport Home Services, we can install a master shut-off lever for the hot and cold-water supply to your machine in order to make this easier. Instead of twisting two knobs on and off, all you’ll have to do is pull a lever.
If the water supply line to your washing machine ruptures, make sure to:
- Shut off the water supply valves behind your washing machine. This should be easy, but in a worst-case scenario, they may be so rusty you can’t turn them. If that’s the case, get a crescent wrench or pliers and try shutting them off.
- Shut off the main water supply to your house (if the above step doesn’t work.)
- Call a Wisconsin emergency plumber from Southport Home Services. We’ll vacuum out any water in your laundry area and…
- Replace the damaged water supply hoses. We recommend and use braided stainless-steel hoses, which are significantly stronger than the standard issue rubber hoses most washing machines ship with. Replacing the washing machine hoses is a relatively simple job, but if you’re not comfortable with it or don’t have the time or inclination, give our friendly plumbers at Southport Home Services a call.
Sump Pump Emergencies in Wisconsin
Southport Home Services is on-call 24/7 to get the water pumped out of your basement and get your sump pump working again right away. If necessary, our emergency plumbing team can also install a new sump pump, so your basement is protected from flooding for years to come.
A sump pump failure of any kind can be disastrous — particularly if you have a finished basement. A power outage during a heavy rainstorm, for instance, can result in several inches of water flooding into your property before you know it. And if this happens when you’re away, you could come home to a swimming pool in the basement.
In other words, time is of the essence in sump pump emergencies, so it’s important to call Southport Home Services right away for service if your sump pump fails.
Since the most common cause of sump pump problems is power outages, the best way to ensure your pump keeps working is either to install a generator or a backup battery. Of these two options, the battery is by far the more affordable solution, costing anywhere from $275 to $500, plus labor. In addition to installing a backup battery, Southport Home Services also offers routine maintenance for sump pumps, to ensure they’re working properly. If you’ve recently moved into a home and aren’t sure about your sump pump’s reliability, we recommend scheduling an appointment now to have it inspected and tested.
Emergency Plumbing Repair All Over Southeast Wisconsin
When it comes to emergencies, no one is more reliable than Southport Home Services. Sign up for our Southport Club today to get regular maintenance designed to help you avoid plumbing disasters. We also offer commercial service, so if your business needs an emergency plumbing repair in Wisconsin, you can count on us for that, too. Don’t forget to take advantage of our available specials and promotions!
