Emergency Plumbing

24-Hour Emergency Plumbing

Emergency Plumbing Hotline 817-431-8929

By nature, emergency plumbing needs tend to occur when you are not expecting them… and often at the worst possible time. The good news is the Geeks come out at night!

In most cases, we can have an emergency plumber in your home in less than 3 hours from the time you call our 24-hour emergency plumbing phone number. Whether you have water flooding your home because of a ruptured hot water heater, a broken pipe, a slab leak, or you smell natural gas and think you may have a gas leak, there are a few things you need to do immediately before calling The Geeks.

Here are a few priorities for emergency plumbing preparation…

Turn Off the “Stop Valve”

Almost all emergency plumbing issues involve lots of rushing water. If possible, the very first thing you must do before calling a professional plumber is stop the flow of water. The fastest way to stop the water flow is usually at a “Stop Valve” that is normally found coming out of the wall below the plumbing fixture.

Wall Stop Valves can be found immediately below the fixture inside the cabinetry. Be very careful when trying to turn these off to the right (“Righty-Tighty”: always turn to the right) and if you cannot locate them, then turn the water supply off at the meter as described in the next section below.

Be very careful not to pull up or down on the stop while turning as this usually will result in breaking the stop valve off at the wall. If this ever occurs, water will likely spray all over the place and the only alternative then is to shut off the water supply at the utility meter quickly.

An overflowing toilet can be stopped by first lifting the tank lid and holding down the “Flapper” inside the tank at the bottom. Allow the tank to fill up enough to hold flapper down. As soon as feasible, turn off the water supply at the wall stop. Again, use firm pressure to turn stop valves off, but do not pull up or down on them.

If you have trouble turning off the water at the location closest to the fixture, the next location would be either a larger stop valve (normally a lever type valve) on the water line’s entrance into your home or the main valve at the utility company’s water meter location.

A water pipe leak in the attic or inside the wall with the obvious sound of running water, or that is already beginning to flood your ceilings or floors, can only be stopped at the main valve locations described in the following paragraph below.

In addition to the home’s main water supply, you should also make certain that the electricity or natural gas connected to the water heaters are turned off. Water heaters can be severely damaged if they continue trying to heat an empty water tank.

Turn Off the Water at the Meter

The water meter location should always have a valve just on the provider or municipality’s side (probably the street side) of the meter on top of the supply piping. This valve can be turned off with standard household tool such as a crescent wrench, but this is not advised. It is difficult for most people to work in the meter box’s limited space. Homeowners can normally purchase a “wrench” designed for this type of valve at any of the major hardware retail stores. This allows almost anyone to easily open or close this valve more quickly, preventing continuing damage to your home.

Flip the Main Electric Panel Switch

Electrical panels are normally located on the interior side of the wall that has the utility provider’s meter on the outside of your home. Sometimes a “Disconnect” Panel or box will be installed next to or very near the main electric panel, but more often the power to the entire home can be shut off if the “Main Breaker(s)” inside the door of the electric panel are switched to the “OFF” or down position.

Shut Off the Natural Gas or Propane Valve

Natural Gas Meters and Propane Tanks must be located outside your home for your safety. If you have natural gas, the shut off valve should be located on a vertical supply pipe that is connected to the meter. Turn the valve to the “Off” position. If you have a propane tank, it must have a shut off valve near the tank on side facing your house.

Call Leak Geeks Emergency Plumbing Hotline at 817-431-8929

Some homeowners may be qualified to make temporary repairs. However, a professional plumber should make the final repairs on emergency plumbing issues and connections only after conducting a thorough inspection of the water piping in the house. It is likely that if original piping is failing in one area, there may be additional potential problems or deterioration that could possibly create more damage without any warning.