Plumbing Emergency Protocol — What To Do in the First 30 Minutes

The first 30 seconds: turn off the water

This is the only sentence in this article you actually need to remember: when in doubt, turn the water off.

Every plumbing emergency — every single one — either is solved by or is made better by cutting water pressure to the affected line. The rest of this article is context on where and how to do that for specific situations. But if you remember one thing, remember: turn off the water.

Know where your main shutoff valves are — before you need them

Take five minutes today to find these. Do not wait until 3am to hunt for them.

Main shutoff, curb side. There's a valve at the curb near your water meter, under a small metal or plastic access cover. This shuts off water to the whole property. It typically requires a special "curb key" (a long T-shaped tool) to operate. Most homeowners don't have one. Your water utility does. The main use is if the second shutoff (below) doesn't work.

Main shutoff, house side. There's another main valve where the water line enters your house. In Fort Worth homes without basements, this is usually: (1) in the garage on the wall shared with the house, (2) in an outside utility box on the side of the house, (3) in a crawlspace access panel, or (4) near the water heater. This is the valve you'll actually turn — it stops water to every fixture in the house.

Individual shutoffs. Under every sink, behind every toilet, at the water heater, at the washing machine. Each has its own small valve. In an emergency at a single fixture, turning off just that fixture's valve leaves the rest of the house working while you deal with the problem.

Right now, before you finish reading: get up, find the house-side main shutoff. Turn it clockwise 180 degrees just to make sure it moves — some old valves seize up over time and become useless. Then turn it back.

Situation 1: Burst pipe

Water is spraying visibly from a pipe. Wall, ceiling, exposed pipe in the basement — doesn't matter.

Do first: Main house shutoff, clockwise until it stops. Then open the highest and lowest faucets in the house to drain the pressure from the system so no more water is pushing against the burst.

Then: Move belongings away from the water. Put buckets under active drips. Turn off electricity to affected areas if water is near outlets or lights (breaker panel).

Call: A 24/7 plumbing service if it's after hours. Us the next business morning for permanent repair and to review whatever the 24/7 service did.

Situation 2: Overflowing toilet

Water rising in the bowl, threatening to overflow onto the floor.

Do first: Take the tank lid off. Push down on the flapper (rubber disc at the bottom of the tank) to close it — this stops water from flowing from tank to bowl. Then shut off the toilet's individual valve at the wall behind it (turn clockwise until it stops).

Then: Do NOT flush again. Let the bowl water level go down on its own if the clog is partial. If it's fully blocked, plunge with a flanged toilet plunger — cover the bowl completely, sharp downstrokes, let the water rush back on the upstroke.

If plunging fails: The clog is past the toilet, probably in the drain line. Don't try to snake it yourself unless you own a proper closet auger. Call.

Situation 3: Water heater flooding

Water pooling around or under the water heater. This usually means the tank has ruptured — a repair isn't coming, only a replacement is coming — but you need to stop the flow first.

Do first: Shut off the water supply to the heater (valve on the cold water inlet, usually at the top of the tank). If you can't find or operate that valve, use the house-side main shutoff.

Then: Turn off power to the heater. Electric: breaker panel, dedicated breaker for water heater. Gas: turn the gas control knob to "OFF" (top of the heater, not the shutoff at the wall).

Drain the tank if you can — attach a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank, run it to a floor drain or outside, open the drain valve. This prevents the remaining water from continuing to seep out around the failed seam.

Call: Us the next business day. Water heater replacement is same-day service during business hours in most cases.

Situation 4: Gas leak smell

You smell gas (like rotten eggs, that's the additive they put in natural gas so you can smell it). This is the one situation on this list where the answer is NOT plumbing first.

Do first: Leave the house immediately. Take everyone with you. Don't flip light switches, don't unplug anything, don't use your phone inside — any spark can ignite gas. Don't start a car in an attached garage.

Once outside: Call your gas utility (Atmos in most of DFW: 1-866-322-8667). They come out for free and are the first responders for gas leaks. They confirm the leak, shut off the meter, and tell you when it's safe to go back in.

Then: Call us for the permanent repair once the gas is off. Do not go back inside until the utility says it's safe.

Situation 5: Sewer backup

Sewage — actual sewage, brown/black water with solid content — coming up through a floor drain, shower drain, or lowest fixture in the house.

Do first: Stop using every fixture in the house immediately. Every flush, every sink, every washing machine cycle makes the backup worse. Tell everyone in the house.

Then: Move any belongings out of the affected room. Get pets out of the area. If the backup is significant, evacuate to another part of the house entirely. Sewage exposure is a real health hazard.

Call: A 24/7 service if it's after hours — this is the closest thing to a true plumbing emergency because health and property damage compound quickly. During business hours, us — we prioritize sewer backups.

How to know if it's an emergency or can wait until morning

The honest test: is water actively moving that shouldn't be? If yes, and you can stop it by turning off a valve, do that first. If turning off the valve stops the problem entirely — it's not an after-hours emergency. It'll wait for morning.

If yes, and turning off the valve doesn't fully stop it (sewer backup, gas leak, foundation water) — it's a real emergency. Call 24/7.

If it's uncomfortable but stable — a hot water outage, a slow drain, a running toilet — go to bed. Call us during business hours tomorrow.

We're honest about not being 24/7 for a reason: most plumbing situations that feel like emergencies at 2am can be safely handled the next business day, and "emergency" plumbing services during off hours often cost 2-3× more for work that isn't actually more urgent. Save your money. Turn off the water. Call in the morning.

Document damage for insurance before cleanup

Once the immediate danger is over — before you start mopping or moving wet stuff — take pictures. Wide shots showing the scope of damage, close-ups showing water level marks on walls and furniture, close-ups of anything visibly ruined. Video walkthrough of the space if you can. Do this before ANY cleanup.

Your homeowner's insurance is much more likely to cover damage they can see documented at the source. Once you've cleaned up, proving what was ruined gets harder.