What to Do During a Plumbing Emergency Before We Arrive

1. Shut Off the Water

If the problem is isolated to one fixture — a supply line under a sink, a toilet connection — look for a local shutoff valve near that fixture and turn it off. If you can't find one, or the water is coming from somewhere less obvious, shut off the main water valve for the house. Knowing where that valve is before an emergency happens is one of the most useful things you can do ahead of time.

2. Turn Off Electricity Near Standing Water

If water is pooling near outlets, appliances, or a breaker panel, and you can safely reach your electrical panel without stepping through water, shut off power to that area. If reaching the panel means walking through standing water, don't — wait for help instead.

3. Contain What You Can

Towels, buckets, and any available containers can limit how far water spreads while you wait. Moving furniture, rugs, and electronics out of the path of the water helps reduce the damage, but don't spend so much time on this that it delays calling for help.

4. Call Us

Once the water is shut off, or if you weren't able to shut it off, call us right away. Describe what's happening as clearly as you can — where the water is coming from, roughly how much, and whether you were able to stop it. That information helps us prepare before we arrive.

What Not to Do

• Don't ignore a small leak because it doesn't look urgent — small leaks can indicate a larger failure building up behind a wall.
• Don't use electrical appliances or touch outlets in areas with standing water.
• Don't attempt to cut into walls or flooring yourself to find a leak — this often causes more damage than it prevents.
• Don't wait until business hours if the situation is actively causing damage.

Shutting off the water is almost always the single most effective thing you can do in the first minute of a plumbing emergency. Everything else is secondary to that.