Silco PlumbingWhen Should You Call a Plumber?
If something is leaking, running, or backing up, one of your first questions is probably: “Does this need a plumber today?”
There isn’t one answer that fits every problem. In Kalispell and throughout the Flathead Valley, cold weather and older pipe can turn a small drip into a much bigger mess if it sits.
That’s because some problems can wait until morning, and some cannot.
Here is how we want you to think about it.
1. A Leaking Sink
A leaking sink may seem minor. Even a slow drip can damage a cabinet and waste water.
Call us if water is pooling under the sink, you smell something musty in the cabinet, the leak comes back after you have already tightened what you can reach, or the pipes look corroded or cracked.
Close the shutoff for that fixture if you can find it. If you cannot, tell us that.
2. A Dripping or Broken Faucet
A faucet that will not shut off, a handle that will not turn, or a sudden drop in pressure at that tap is worth a call. If you are hearing any banging or whistling from your pipes, that deserves a call as well.
This is usually not an emergency. It is still worth fixing before it becomes one.
3. A Running Toilet
A running toilet can waste a lot of water. Many people do not notice until the bill arrives.
Call if it runs constantly or at random, you hear refilling when no one flushed, you have already looked at the flapper, or the tank is leaking or cracked.
If the house has another working toilet, use that one until the problem toilet can be fixed.
4. Cracked, Frozen, or Burst Pipe
Cracked or damaged pipe is the one that cannot wait — especially in a Montana winter.
Call right away if you can see a crack or a bulge, stains appear on a wall or ceiling, pressure at your fixtures drops suddenly, a pipe has frozen or just thawed, or you hear water behind a wall.
If water is actively flowing and you know where the main shutoff is, the first thing you want to do is turn that valve off, and then give us a call.
If you do not know where it is, call us now and we’ll help you find it before it becomes a major event.
5. If You Smell Gas
If you smell gas, that is not a “can it wait” question. Call us and tell us what you smell and where. If you cannot reach us, call your gas or propane provider.
Same drip. Different house. Different job. One leak is a supply valve under a sink. Another is water you can hear and cannot find. It is normal for those two calls to be different jobs.
What should you have ready when you call? You don’t need to decide if it is an emergency. Just tell us what you can see:
- What the water is doing, and where
- Whether you can stop it at a shutoff
- Whether more than one fixture is involved
- Photos, if you can send them
When to Call in Kalispell & the Flathead Valley. Silco Plumbing helps homeowners decide what needs a plumber in Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Whitefish and surrounding areas—from a running toilet to a pipe that cannot wait. Have questions? Ask us. You don’t have to classify the problem before you call, and you can send a message instead of calling.
406-471-1851 | silcoplumbingmt.com
