A plumbing emergency never shows up at a convenient time. It is usually late at night, on a holiday weekend, or right before guests arrive. When it happens, the first few minutes decide how much damage you end up with, and most of what helps is simple if you know it ahead of time.
Here is a calm, step by step checklist for what to do before the plumber arrives.
Shut off the water, stay away from electricity and standing water, document the damage, and call a plumber. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 or your gas utility.
What Counts as a Plumbing Emergency?
Not every plumbing problem needs a middle of the night call. A slow drip or a clogged sink can usually wait for regular hours. These are the situations that should not wait:
- A burst or leaking pipe that is releasing a lot of water
- A sewage backup into a tub, toilet, or floor drain
- No water at all, especially in freezing weather
- A water heater leaking heavily or flooding
- A toilet that will not stop overflowing
- Any smell of gas
If You Smell Gas, Stop Reading and Go
If you smell gas, do not use light switches, phones, or anything that could spark. Leave the house right away, then call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Gas is not a plumbing problem you handle yourself.
Your Plumbing Emergency Checklist
- Shut off the water. Turn off the main water supply, or the shutoff valve for the affected fixture if you can reach it quickly. This stops the damage from growing.
- Turn off the water heater if it is involved. If the leak is from the water heater, shut off its cold water supply and cut power at the breaker, or set a gas unit to off.
- Stay safe around electricity. If water is near outlets, appliances, or the electrical panel, keep out of the area. Only shut off power at the breaker if you can reach it without standing in water.
- Open faucets. Once the main is off, open a few faucets to drain the remaining water from the lines and reduce pressure.
- Contain the water. Move valuables, rugs, and electronics out of the way. Use towels, buckets, or a wet vac to limit the spread.
- Document everything. Take photos and video of the damage before you clean up. Your insurance company will want them.
- Call a plumber. Tell them what you see, what you have already shut off, and where the water is coming from.
Tape a note with our number, (720) 940-3661, right next to your main shutoff. In the middle of the night you will not want to go looking for it.
Know Your Shutoffs Before You Need Them
The single best thing you can do today is find your main water shutoff. It is usually where the water line enters the house, often in a basement, crawl space, garage, or utility room, and sometimes in a box near the street. Turn it gently to make sure it moves, and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. Also look for the small shutoff valves under each sink and behind each toilet.
What Not to Do
- Do not use chemical drain cleaners on a sewage backup. They will not fix it and they make the water hazardous.
- Do not keep running water in the house during a sewage backup. Every flush and every sink adds to the problem.
- Do not touch standing water near electricity, or any water that may be contaminated.
- Do not wait it out. Water damage and mold get worse by the hour.
Emergency Plumbing in Boulder County
When something goes wrong, you want a real person who answers and shows up. Our emergency plumbing service is available 7 days a week across Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Superior, Niwot, and Gunbarrel. Save this number now so you have it when you need it: (720) 940-3661. Every technician is licensed with the State of Colorado, and you can verify that through the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations.
And if you want to avoid emergencies in the first place, our maintenance plans catch the small problems before they turn into big ones.