It is not uncommon for emergency plumbing situations to happen at home in rather inappropriate times. But before you freak out and hastily call the plumbing service, why not work on the problem yourself? A lot of the common household plumbing problems are relatively easy to work on your own.
Frozen Pipes: When water in pipes freeze they expand and may even burst the pipe. Close the main shutoff valve. If the pipe has not split yet, thaw it with hot water bottles from the end of the pipe nearest to the tap. Thawing must be gentle, never with a naked flame, to avoid thermal water expansion that too can split the pipe. As a preventive maintenance make sure your pipes are appropriately insulated against the cold months.
Good plumbers are going to have a valid license that you can check on. Look up the number they give you online and see if it is valid and if any complaints have been filed against that number. This will tell you if they are at least good and have not done anyone anything wrong. Some of the best plumbers are going to know and understand the local building codes and will be able to explain to you what is needed fast for the job to be in code.
Check on the plumber's licensing and insurance. You can ask about this over the phone before you even make an appointment. If the Trustworthy plumber, or his representative on the phone, cannot provide the master plumbing license number quickly and easily, that's your cue to move on.
The number one thing to look for is emergency services. You never know when a pipe will burst or a toilet will overflow. It is not always during business hours, and you certainly cannot wait hours until a Local plumber is ready to come to your home in the morning. You need someone who will be responsive when you need fast help, which is why you should look for a company that provides emergency hours. You may have to pay an extra fee, but it is usually cheaper than having to pay for mold elimination down the road after letting standing water stay in your house for days.
Before you hire a plumber, ask questions. Find out what kind of experience they have and if they offer service 24 hours a day. You can prevent many problems by fixing a plumbing issue before it gets worse. You should also find out if the contractor is reputable and check their references. Compare plumbers until you find one you can trust.
Without a knowledge of this home improvement area, you run the risk of creating more of a problem than you began with. You don't want to make things worse and you don't want to create any more damage, so take a step back and call a knowledgeable plumbing service to come in and take over the project.