10 Signs You Should Call a Plumber Right Away

Call a plumber right away if you notice any of these signs:

1. You smell gas or rotten eggs.
2. Sewage is backing up into a tub, shower, or floor drain.
3. A pipe burst, or water is spraying or pooling.
4. Several drains are slow or clogged at the same time.
5. You hear water running when everything is off.
6. Your water bill jumped for no clear reason.
7. You feel warm spots on your floor.
8. Your water heater is leaking or making loud popping sounds.
9. You have no water, or your water pressure dropped suddenly.
10. You see water stains, mold, or a sagging ceiling.

These problems get worse fast. Waiting can mean water damage, mold, or a much bigger repair bill.

Seeing one of these signs right now? Get emergency plumbing in Little Rock from our licensed team.

Natural gas has no smell on its own. Gas companies add a sulfur scent so you can catch a leak. It smells like rotten eggs. You might also hear a hiss near your stove, water heater, or a gas line.

This is the one sign where a plumber isn't your first call. Gas can catch fire from a single spark. Here's what to do:

• Get everyone out of the house right away.
• Don't flip light switches or unplug anything.
• Don't use your phone until you're outside.
• Don't start a car in the garage.
• Leave the door open behind you.
• Once you're away from the house, call 911 and Summit Utilities.

After the gas company says it's safe, call us. We track down where the leak started and repair or replace the damaged gas line. Then we pressure test the line before the gas goes back on. You'll know it holds before you cook or run hot water again.

A sewer backup usually shows up at the lowest drain first. Dirty water rises in your tub, shower, or floor drain. You might hear gurgling when you flush or smell sewage in the house.

This almost always means your main sewer line is blocked or broken. Sewage carries germs, and it soaks into floors and drywall fast. Until we get there:

• Stop flushing toilets and running water.
• Hold off on the washer and dishwasher.
• Keep kids and pets away from the dirty water.
• Don't pour drain cleaner into a sewer backup.

We run a camera down your line to see what's causing the backup. Then we clear it, or show you exactly what needs repair.

In Southwest Little Rock, we often find old Orangeburg, clay, or concrete sewer pipe. These older pipes crack, sag, and let tree roots in. Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority reimburses up to $2,500 when you replace your whole sewer service line. When we replace a line, we go all the way to the city tap.

A burst pipe is hard to miss. Water sprays from a wall, drips through a ceiling, or spreads across the floor. Sometimes it's quieter, like a puddle that keeps coming back under a sink.

Running water soaks into everything it touches. The longer it runs, the more drywall, flooring, and cabinets you'll end up replacing. Do these things first:

• Shut off your main water valve.
• Turn off power to any wet area if you can safely reach the breaker.
• Open a faucet to drain the water left in the lines.
• Take photos of the damage for your insurance.

Your main valve is usually where the water line enters the house. Check the garage, a utility closet, or near the water heater. Find it now, before you ever need it.

In Little Rock, hard freezes tend to hit pipes in crawl spaces, garages, and outside walls first. We find the break and repair or replace the damaged section. Then we check the rest of the line for weak spots before your water goes back on.

One slow sink is usually a local clog. Hair, soap, or grease builds up close to that drain. When your tub, toilet, and sinks all slow down together, the problem sits farther down the line.

Every drain in your house empties into one main sewer line. When that line starts to clog, water has fewer places to go. Signs it's the main line:

• The toilet gurgles when you run the sink.
• Water rises in the tub when you flush.
• The lowest drains in the house act up first.
• Plunging helps for a day, then the drain is slow again.

This is the warning stage before a full sewer backup. Calling now can mean a simple cleaning instead of a dig-up.

Store-bought drain cleaner won't reach a main line clog. It can also sit in older pipes and wear them down. We clear the main line and show you what caused the clog. If roots or grease keep coming back, we'll walk you through your options, including hydro jetting.

At night, the house goes quiet. That's when you might hear a faint hiss or trickle inside a wall or under the floor. Nothing is turned on, but water is still moving.

That sound means water is leaking somewhere you can't see. A hidden leak can soak into framing, insulation, and subfloor for weeks before a stain shows up.

Your water meter can confirm it. EPA WaterSense suggests this simple test:

• Turn off every faucet and water appliance.
• Write down the reading on your water meter.
• Wait two hours without using any water.
• Check the meter again. If the number changed, you likely have a leak.

Start with the easy suspect. A toilet that runs on its own can make the same sound. If your toilets are quiet and the meter still moves, call us.

We track the sound to its source, whether it's inside a wall, along a supply line, or under your slab. Then we repair only the section that's leaking.

You didn't fill a pool or plant a new garden. Nobody moved in. But your water bill came in higher than last month, and the month before that.

When your habits stay the same and the bill goes up, water is escaping somewhere. A leak runs day and night, and you pay for every gallon.

A few ways to check your bill:

• Compare it to the same month last year.
• Look at gallons used, not just the dollar amount.
• Check a winter month. EPA WaterSense says a family of four using over 12,000 gallons a month in winter may have a serious leak.

Some causes are cheap to fix, like a worn toilet flapper or a dripping faucet. EPA WaterSense says fixing easy household leaks can cut water bills by about 10 percent. Other leaks hide in walls, yards, or under your slab.

If your bill keeps climbing, call us. We find where the water is going and fix the leak, so you stop paying for water you never used.

Walk across your floor barefoot. If one spot feels warm while the rest is cool, pay attention. You might notice it on tile, or see your pet lying in the same spot every day.

A warm spot usually means a hot water line is leaking under your concrete slab. The escaping hot water heats the concrete from below. Other signs often show up with it:

• Damp carpet or flooring with no spill nearby
• New cracks in your floor or foundation
• Your water heater running more than usual
• The sound of water moving under the floor

Little Rock sits on clay soil that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it's dry. That movement puts stress on the pipes buried under your slab. A leak adds even more water to the soil, which can shift your foundation.

We pinpoint the leak first, so we only open up what we need to. Then we repair the line or reroute it around the slab. Get slab leak repair from our team before a small leak turns into foundation work.

Your water heater sits in a garage or closet, so it's easy to forget about. Then one day you hear loud pops or rumbling from the tank. Or you find a puddle around its base.

Popping usually comes from sediment built up at the bottom of the tank. Water gets trapped under that layer and boils, which makes the noise. Over time, the buildup wears out the tank.

A leak is more urgent. Water around the base can mean the tank itself is failing. When a tank gives out, it can release its water all at once.

Other warning signs:

• Rusty or brown hot water
• Hot water that runs out faster than it used to
• Water dripping from the relief valve pipe

If you see a leak, shut off the cold water supply to the heater. On a gas unit, turn the control knob to "off." On an electric unit, flip its breaker.

We check the tank, the valves, and the connections. Then we tell you straight whether a repair makes sense or it's time to replace.

When we replace water heaters in older Little Rock homes, the old setup often isn't up to today's code. We've added expansion tanks, run combustion air piping, and moved shut-off valves to where code requires them. On a recent install, we added a water hammer suppressor to absorb the pressure spikes that make pipes bang. Your new heater goes in right, not just swapped into the old spot.

We install both traditional and tankless water heaters, and we offer financing on every job.

You turn on the shower and get a weak trickle. Or you open the tap and nothing comes out at all. If the drop happened fast, something changed in your water line.

Check this first:

• Ask a neighbor if their water is working.
• Look for outage or main break notices from Central Arkansas Water.
• Make sure your main shut-off valve is fully open.
• Check if the low pressure is at one faucet or every faucet.

If your neighbors have water and your valve is open, the problem is likely on your side of the meter. A sudden drop can mean a broken water line in your yard. You might also see a soggy patch of lawn or water bubbling up near the street.

Slow pressure loss over months is different. In older homes, galvanized pipe rusts on the inside until water can barely get through.

We find where the line broke and repair or replace it. When a whole line needs replacing, we run new pipe from your house to the city tap. If the old line runs under a slab or driveway, we can reroute it instead.

Some leaks never make a sound. Instead, you spot a brown ring on the ceiling or a bubble in the paint. Baseboards swell, or a musty smell hangs in one room.

These signs mean water has been leaking for a while. By the time a stain shows, the drywall behind it is often soaked. EPA says to dry water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to help prevent mold.

Watch for:

• Brown or yellow stains on ceilings or walls
• Paint that bubbles, peels, or feels soft
• Black spots or a musty smell under sinks
• Warped floors or swollen cabinet bottoms

A sagging ceiling needs attention right away. Water pools above the drywall and adds weight until it gives way. Keep everyone out of the room and turn off the lights in that area.

A ceiling stain doesn't always mean the leak is right above it. Water travels along pipes and framing before it drips. We trace it back to the source and fix the leak itself. That way the stain doesn't come back after you paint over it.

A few details make your call faster and your quote more accurate. Have these ready before you pick up the phone:

• What you're seeing, hearing, or smelling
• Where it's happening and when it started
• About how old your home and water heater are
• Photos or a short video of the problem
• Anything you've tried already, like drain cleaner

It also helps to check your homeowners insurance. Many standard policies don't cover sewer backups unless you added that coverage.

Then ask the plumber a few questions:

• Are you licensed in Arkansas?
• Do you charge a flat rate or by the hour?
• Is there a trip fee or an after-hours fee?
• Can you show me the problem before you fix it?
• What are my options, repair or replace?
• Is the work guaranteed, and for how long?

A good plumber answers these without dodging. When you call us, we explain your options before any work starts. Not sure if your problem can wait? Talk to a licensed plumber in Little Rock and get a straight answer.

When water is on the floor, it's tempting to call the first number you find. A few quick checks can save you from a bad job or an inflated bill.

Good signs	Red flags
Licensed in Arkansas and gives you the number	Won't share a license number
Explains the problem and your options	Pushes you to decide on the spot
Shows you proof, like photos or camera footage	Says you need a whole new line with no proof
Gives a clear price before work starts	Wants full payment up front or cash only
Pulls the permit when the job needs one	Asks you to get the permit yourself
Real Google reviews with owner replies	No local address and no reviews

The FTC lists several of these red flags as signs of a home improvement scam.

On big jobs, like a sewer line replacement or a repipe, get a second opinion. Getting another quote? Bring it to us first. We'll tell you straight whether we can beat it or whether their price is already fair.

Angel Bahena started Diamond State Plumbing in 2018 and still has the same phone number from day one. He's a master plumber who owns the company outright. His brothers David and Eloy work alongside him.

All three are licensed, background-checked plumbers with 25 years of experience between them. Don't just take our word for it. Read our Google reviews and see what people across Little Rock say about us.

If you spotted one of these 10 signs, don't wait for it to get worse. Small leaks and slow drains don't fix themselves.

We handle it all, from a small repair to a full system replacement. That includes gas lines, sewer lines, slab leaks, water heaters, and emergency calls. We tell you what we're doing as we go, so you're never guessing about what's happening in your own house.

Diamond State Plumbing is based at 506 Mimi Ln, Little Rock, AR 72211. Call our Little Rock plumbers and tell us what you're seeing. We'll help you figure out what can wait and what can't.