Emergency Splashdown: When Pipes Burst And Basements Are Flooded

The absolute worst thing to happen in plumbing is rarely the smelliest thing. True, an overflowing toilet or a backed-up sewer drain is an emergency, and it smells and looks awful, but it is never nearly the worst plumbing thing that can go wrong. The worst plumbing problem, and one that causes a lot of emergency work for plumbers, is burst pipes. Here is why this emergency plumbing issue is so much worse than any other plumbing problem. 

Burst Pipes in the Basement Can Go Unnoticed and Unchecked for Hours, Days

If you do not go into your basement for much of anything, you really will not notice or even realize that you have a burst pipe problem. It could go unchecked for hours or even days before that water drowns your basement and seeps up into an area where it becomes obvious. By then, your plumber practically has to become an expert diver to turn off the water, pump it out of the basement, and then get to the damaged pipes. 

Anything Stored in the Basement Is Likely Destroyed

In general, people use their basements for storage. Really, you should not because everything from electrical to plumbing can go wrong down there, and then things are ruined. If your pipes burst and flood your basement, everything that ends up under water will be destroyed and have to be thrown away. The amount of water damage is untold, and your homeowner's insurance may or may not cover the losses. (Usually, it does not cover anything destroyed by burst water pipes because the argument is that you should not have stored anything near pipes anyway.)

Raw Sewage Can Mix with Burst Pipe Water

If you have sewage drains in your basement floor, then flooding the basement with water is the last thing you want. These drains will not be able to keep up with the volumes of water spewing forth from the burst pipes. It may cause the floor drains to back up into the basement, bringing raw sewage back to mix with the already swirling, flooding water from the pipes. Now you have (literally!) a cesspool in your basement and a major health hazard for the whole house. It has to be pumped out in higher volumes than most water pumps can manage, and it requires a septic company because of the raw sewage involved. Now, you not only have to pay for emergency plumbing services but also for a septic pump-out to get all of that water and sewage backup out of the basement. 

Contact a company like Calhoun Plumbing for help with an emergency.