Plumbing emergency: what to do in the first 10 minutes

What counts as a plumbing emergency?

Not every plumbing problem needs a midnight call, and knowing the difference saves stress. A true emergency is water or sewage going where it should not and not stopping: a burst or split pipe, a supply line that popped off a toilet or washer, a water heater tank that let go, sewage rising from a floor drain or tub, or no water at all in the house in freezing weather. A frozen pipe that has not yet split is urgent too, because it will.

A drip, a slow drain, a running toilet, or a water heater that stopped making hot water can wait until morning without harm as long as the water is contained. If you can shut off the water to the problem and the house is otherwise fine, you have turned an emergency into a scheduled repair. That is the goal of the first ten minutes.

Step one: stop the water

Everything else waits until the water stops. Work from smallest to largest:

• One fixture leaking: turn the small shutoff valve under the sink or behind the toilet clockwise until it stops. Washer hoses have valves on the wall behind the machine.
• Not sure where it is coming from, or the leak is in a wall or ceiling: go to the main shutoff and close it. In most homes it is on the front foundation wall where the water service enters, near the meter.
• Water heater leaking: close the cold-water valve on top of the tank. For a gas heater, turn the gas control to Off. For electric, switch off its breaker before touching the tank.
• Main valve stuck or missing: the curb stop at the sidewalk can be closed by the water utility. Call them, and call us.
• After the main is off, open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain pressure from the lines. The leak will slow to a trickle and then stop.

Step two: make it safe

Water and electricity meet in basements and utility rooms. If water is near outlets, a furnace, a boiler, or an electric water heater, turn off the breaker for that area at the panel, if you can reach the panel without standing in water. If you cannot, leave it and tell us when you call. Do not walk into standing water that could be touching a live appliance.

If the problem is sewage, treat the water as contaminated. Keep children and pets out of the room, and stop using every drain in the house, including toilets on upper floors; each flush adds to the pool at the bottom. If you smell gas at any point, stop, leave the house, and call PECO or 911 from outside before anything else.

Step three: protect what you can

With the water off and the room safe, spend the next few minutes limiting damage. Move boxes, rugs, and furniture out of the wet area. Put a bucket under a ceiling drip and, if the ceiling is bulging with water, poke a small hole with a screwdriver to let it drain into the bucket rather than collapse. Towels along doorways keep water from spreading into carpeted rooms.

Then document. Take a few photos of the source and the damage, note the time and what was running (laundry, dishwasher, shower), and write down any sounds you heard first. Your insurer will want this, and it helps us find the cause faster. If you rent, call your landlord or property manager now; under many leases, they arrange the plumber.

What should I not do?

A few common moves make things worse:

• Do not pour chemical drain cleaner into a backed-up drain. It will not reach a main-line clog and it makes the standing water hazardous for whoever opens the line.
• Do not use a torch or open flame on a frozen pipe. A hair dryer or warm towels, starting at the faucet end, are the safe way.
• Do not keep running water to see if it clears. Every gallon has to go somewhere.
• Do not start opening walls or ceilings beyond a small relief hole. Find the source first.
• Do not turn the water back on to test it before the repair is made.

What happens when you call us?

Tell us what you shut off, what is still leaking, and whether there is sewage or an electrical concern. That lets us send the right truck with the right parts. When we arrive, we confirm the water is off, find the source, and give you the options before we start: a repair tonight, a temporary fix and a scheduled repair, or a replacement if the part has failed. No high-pressure sales. We give you options.

Our dispatch policy is simple: "$85 dispatch fee, waived when approved work is completed the same day." Emergency service runs 24 hours, with holidays reserved for emergencies only. Request emergency service, and if you have a minute while you wait, go find your main shutoff so you can show us.