Do you and your family have savings for household emergencies set aside? Let’s take a look at the most common emergencies that occur in the home that are bound to come with extensive repair costs.
Common Costly Household Emergencies
Water Heater
There is very little to no notice given when your water heater goes up. If you have any noticeable symptoms at all, it might be a slight drop in water pressure or temperature when you are in the shower. Once your water heater goes bad, there is usually no repairing it – it must be replaced.
Estimated Cost: Replacing your water heater can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to well over $1,000 depending on the size and type.
Plumbing Issues
Small clogs here and there are pretty normal and rarely an emergency that will cause major damage to your home. Plumbing problems like burst pipes and sewer system backups, however, can happen without warning and be very costly to repair.
Estimated Cost: This depends primarily on the severity of your plumbing problem. Whether you need a quick repair or a complete plumbing system replacement in Maryland, be prepared to pay a great deal – especially for emergency service.
HVAC Failure
When your heating and/or air conditioning systems stop working, it’s almost impossible to tell on your own whether the system can be repaired or needs a complete replacement. If your A/C decides to quit on the hottest day of the year, or your heat stops working in the dead of winter, you will need emergency service.
Estimated Cost: If you need emergency service on an evening, weekend, or holiday, the service charge from an HVAC company can itself have a cost higher than normal service fees. If you’re lucky, a small repair can cost up to a few hundred dollars, but replacing your heating system will take you well into the thousands.
Why is it important to save?
It’s suggested that you, as a homeowner, save about 6 months of expenses in order to create a buffer for you and your family in case an unexpected household emergency occurs. Planning ahead will ensure that you are able to fix the problem as soon as it occurs. If you don’t have savings set aside for these emergencies, you may find yourself having to relocate until the problem is fixed and may risk having the damage spread to other areas of your home.
If you find yourself in one of these household emergencies, look to the experts at Michael Runk Plumbing & Heating. We offer emergency services in Maryland for even the most unexpected household plumbing and heating issues, and pride ourselves on getting your household systems back up and running in record time. Contact us today to learn more about our services, or to set up an appointment!