Home / Emergency
E-01Emergency
Is this an emergency?
Four questions, one answer. If it is urgent, the first step is the shutoff valve, before you even call.
Leave the house now.
Do not switch lights or appliances on or off. From outside, call your gas company or 911. Call us once the gas side is safe.
Shut off the water, then call.
- Find the main shutoff: usually where the line enters the house, in the garage, or at the meter box by the street.
- Lever valve: turn it a quarter turn, across the pipe. Round handle: turn clockwise until it stops.
- If water is near outlets or the panel, stay out of the water and switch off that circuit only if you can reach the panel dry.
Not an emergency. Book the next slot.
Nothing is flowing and nothing is dangerous. A normal appointment is fine, and usually cheaper than an after-hours visit.
E-02While you wait
Four things that save the floor.
- Move what you can out of the water: rugs, boxes, electronics.
- Take photos before you mop. Your insurer will ask for them.
- Open the lowest faucet to drain what is left in the lines.
- Turn off the water heater if the main is off for more than an hour.
E-03Know your valves
Every fixture has its own shutoff.
Under the sink, behind the toilet, on top of the water heater. On our next visit we label them for you, free, so nobody has to search at night.