Negligence and lack of awareness of the proper maintenance of drainage systems often lead buildings owners to a plumbing crisis. The common situations that demand the services of a plumber are gas leaks, damaged pipes, and clogged drains. Once a year, we service our cars but reject the idea of annual maintenance of our plumbing systems to the point that the damage occurs beyond repair. This is where the need to call an emergency plumber becomes very imperative.
Top 5 Plumbing Crises Before Calling in An Emergency Plumber’s Service:
- Leaky Fixtures: The shutoff valves for all leaky plumbing fixtures should be closed immediately. Look for hair, soap scum, food, and other debris stuck in the trap. Call in your emergency plumber only when you fail to find an effective solution.
- Gas Leaks: Do not try to repair gas leaks on your own as it is extremely dangerous. In the case of a gas leak, evacuate the building and once outside, call up a plumber.
- Frozen Pipes: During cold months, lack of insulation causes the water inside the pipes to freeze. This results in the pipes expanding and bursting. In such cases as well, the shutoff valve should be closed. Try thawing the pipes gently with hot water bottles before you contact a plumber.
- Burst Pipes: Stop water overflow by closing off the main shutoff valve. Turn on cold water taps to drain the pipes from trapped steam and water. Call up a plumber to repair or replace the burst pipe.
- Blocked Drains and Toilets: Using a drain auger or plunger, try to remove obstructions if any. If all efforts fail, contact your emergency plumber as he would come with effective motorized tools to dislodge and remove the obstruction.
Why Insist on Hiring a Certified Emergency Plumber?
We often limit our thoughts to sinks and toilets when thinking about a plumber. But, nowadays, plumbing professionals are doing a lot more than repairing a drain issue or fixing a kitchen sink. Beyond water pipes but are also installing and repairing gas, wastewater, and sewage pipes! To that end, they need to be more skillful than a regular handyman and conform to industry-regulated certification and licensing. This is why whenever there’s a plumbing crisis and you’re about to hire an emergency plumber, make sure the person is certified and licensed. Remember, only a competent professional can do the repair work to perfection.
Is the Certification Worth the Hype?
Successfully completing certification programs enable plumbers to industrial, commercial and residential plumbing work with competence. Becoming a certified emergency plumber is not an easy task. At least secondary school education is required for a candidate to get accepted into a plumbing certification school. Individuals should have good physical strength, and steady arms, and should be able to maneuver small objects with their fingers. They should also show good judgment and the ability to make quick and sound decisions. Basic knowledge of geometry and algebra is also required for a plumbing certificate. A certification, hence, is worth the hype.
What Do Candidates Learn?
Candidates learn about the following aspects:
- Safety protocols
- Trade terminology
- Pipe identification
- Plumbing network layouts
- Plumbing theories
- Trade tools
- General maintenance and repair
- Damage assessment of plumbing issues.
Interested candidates should start as apprentices, get on-the-job training from a licensed professional and have their work hours credited to the certification. Once the basic training is over, candidates must have to further attend courses on the following:
- Plumbing techniques, tools, and process
- Measurements and calculations
- Plumbing materials and equipment
- Welding
- Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems
- Blueprint reading
Candidates who have passed the basic certificate program can move on further with a construction-related degree program or begin to work as an emergency plumber under a master plumber.