Hot Water Heaters Break At The Worst of Times

You don't want to wait until the last minute before you find a plumber. Most plumbers will have a higher fee if they come out to your house in the middle of the night or on the weekend instead of during traditional business hours.

You should also know that most plumbers charge more for travel time than they do for their actual work, so whether they are fixing your hot water heater or replacing a hose bib, ask questions about how much it's going to cost before you schedule service.

If you need 24-hour emergency plumbing services there are certain things you can do to make sure plumbers show up and get the job done right and on time:

1. When trouble strikes find out what is wrong as quickly as possible. Most plumber  emergencies can be diagnosed over the phone, but plumbers will still charge you for time spent diagnosing a problem. If plumbers think they know what's wrong with your water heater or mainline but aren't 100 percent sure, ask them how certain they are before you schedule service or pay to troubleshoot a problem that isn't there.

2. Find out where plumbers are located and if they service your area specifically. You don't want to call an emergency plumber in another city only to find out it is going to take them hours to get to you, especially if it is during normal business hours when plumbers normally work.

3. Ask for references from people who have used the plumber's services before. Most plumbers will have a list of references you can call or at least ask for their license number so you can verify the plumber is who they say they are.

4. Don't make an assumption about what plumbers charge for their services, either good or bad. Remember that plumbers only get paid when they are on-site doing work, not when they are driving to your house to get there. For this reason, plumbers usually take longer to arrive at emergencies than most people expect, which means getting plumbers out quickly makes them more money in the long run.

5. If you find it necessary to replace your hot water heater wait until the replacement cost comes down before calling plumbers for assistance with installation and cleanup.

If plumbers think they know what's wrong with your water heater or mainline but aren't 100 percent sure, ask them how certain they are before you schedule service or pay to troubleshoot a problem that isn't there. Find out where plumbers are located and if they service your area specifically. Remember that plumbers only get paid when they are on-site doing work, not when they are driving to your house to get there. For this reason, plumbers usually take longer to arrive at emergencies than most people expect, which means getting plumbers out quickly makes them more money in the long run. If plumbers think they know what's wrong with your water heater or main line but aren't 100 percent sure, ask your local plumber or visit a  homedepot or Lowes store.