Plumbers are a breed apart. You would think they use gold for soldering your pipes with the prices they charge. My grandfather was a plumber and I trustworthy drain leak repair was on the truck with him at nine years old. A plumber may or may not give you a free estimate. With a little digging, it can be done. Just give them the work if indeed you do buy the house.
Block homes can tell you very quickly if they are stressed out just by the appearance of the mortar joints. Those giant unsettling cracks can and do tell a story. This does happen and mortar cracks maybe 10-years old. You need to investigate further.
This around the clock availability leads to the second thing to look for in your rescue personnel. Are they available at all hours? Saying you are and actually local water heater repair service picking up the telephone are two different matters. Do they offer at least two numbers, one for regular business hours and one for after hours? That is what you are looking for. And if they advertise dispatch vans, all the better for speedy replies.
This is simple, just boil water on the stove, pour and run this hot water on your kitchen sink before you plunge. Do this repeatedly until you unclog the sink.
Plumbers garbage disposal arrive at a scene in many capacities. Each day is different. One thing many will do is make themselves available for major problems which can happen at any time of day or night. They advertise a call-out number. Like paramedics, they are twenty-four hour, seven days each week and like injury or illness, pipes burst at the most inconvenient times.
Please remember that this does not guarantee that this part of the pipe will be leak free. This is just to minimize the water that's coming out before you call for plumbing services.
Lesson? Be certain you are ready to serve your customers when they need you, not the other way around. If your business cannot or will not respond during off-hours, make your real "I'll get right back to you" business hours clear in your marketing materials. This applies to both large corporations and small trade businesses. The winners -- the smart ones -- are the ones who are ready to sell when their customers are really ready to buy.