Homeowner guide
What is urgent, what can wait, and what is quietly costing you
Nobody wants to call a plumber for something that turns out to be nothing. Here is how we sort it ourselves, including the problems that seem minor and are not.
- Call now vs. call this week
- The quiet problems that do damage
- What you can check yourself first
- When it is a system, not a fixture
The short version
Start here
Work down the list. Most situations are answered in the first two rows.
Shut it off and call now
Active flooding, a burst line, sewage backing up, no water at all, or the smell of gas near a water heater.
Immediate
Call this week
Water at the base of a toilet, a wet spot on a ceiling, a water bill that jumped, or a drain that has clogged more than once.
Soon
Worth mentioning at the next visit
A slow bathroom sink, a dripping faucet, a toilet that occasionally runs, or slightly low pressure at one fixture.
Not urgent
Check yourself first
A single slow drain — try a plunger and a drain screen. Low pressure at one faucet — clean the aerator before calling.
Free
The quiet ones
A running toilet, a weeping supply line under a cabinet, and a slow leak inside a wall all do real damage while making no noise.
Deceptive
General guidance for Hays-area homes. Every house is different — call if you are unsure.
Detail
The problems people underestimate
Water at a toilet base
It looks like a small puddle. It is waste water reaching your subfloor, and subfloor repair costs many times what a seal does.
A running toilet
Silent on the water bill until it is not. A single running toilet can waste more than the rest of the household uses.
Repeat drain clogs
One clog is a clog. Three in the same line is a defect — roots, scale or a belly — and clearing it just delays the diagnosis.
A jump in the water bill
Usually the first sign of a leak you cannot see. Worth a meter test the same week you notice it.
Rusty water in the morning
That is the inside of your supply pipe or the bottom of your water heater. Neither improves on its own.
Pressure that keeps dropping
If it is the whole house and getting worse over years, that is scaling inside galvanized pipe, not a fixture problem.
The honest answer
What you can check before calling
None of this is us talking ourselves out of work. It is faster for both of us if the easy causes are ruled out.
For low pressure at one faucet, unscrew the aerator and rinse it — hard water clogs those constantly here, and that fixes it more often than not. For a single slow drain, try a plunger and pull the stopper to clear hair before assuming the line is blocked. For a suspected leak, shut off every fixture and watch the water meter for fifteen minutes; if it moves, call. And know where your main shutoff is before you ever need it. If any of that does not resolve it, then it is worth our time and yours.
Common questions
What homeowners ask us
When should I call a plumber immediately?
Active flooding, a burst pipe, sewage backing up, no water at all, or a gas smell near a water heater. Shut off the water or gas first, then call.
Is a dripping faucet worth calling about?
Not urgently, but it wastes more than people think and usually indicates a worn cartridge that will keep getting worse. Worth adding to another visit.
Why does my drain keep clogging?
Repeat clogs in the same line usually mean a real defect — root intrusion, scaled pipe or a belly holding water. A camera inspection tells you which.
My water bill jumped but I see no leak. What now?
Shut off every fixture and watch the meter. If it is still moving, you have a hidden leak — often a toilet, a supply line, or a service line in the yard.
Can I use a drain chemical first?
We would rather you did not. They rarely reach the clog, and in older pipe they damage the pipe and gaskets.
Free estimate
Get a real number for your home
Ranges are useful for planning. For an actual price, tell us what you have and we will give you a firm number.
Related: emergency plumber, drain cleaning, leak detection, shutting off your water, low water pressure
Got a plumbing problem that is not getting better on its own?
Call for anything urgent, or send the form and we will get back to you within one business day with a real number.