When is a plumbing problem an emergency?

When water is coming in and you cannot stop it, when sewage backs up into the house, or when water reaches outlets or the electrical panel. A contained drip, one blocked fixture or no hot water can wait for normal hours.

What do I do if a pipe bursts?

Close the main shut-off first, or the stop valve at the fixture if the leak is there. Keep away from water near electricity. Then photograph the damage and call a plumber.

What do I do if sewage is backing up?

Stop using every sink, toilet, shower and appliance, and keep people and pets away. Call a plumber who handles sewage backups, and your insurer if it reached living space.

I smell gas near the water heater. What do I do?

Leave the building now. Do not touch switches or use a phone inside. Call 911 and the gas utility from outside. Do not look for the leak.

There is no water in the house. Is that an emergency?

It is urgent. Check the main shut-off, then ask a neighbor or the water utility whether the street has water. If only your house is dry, call a plumber.

What should I do after the water is off?

Switch the water heater off if the system is draining. When water returns after a long shutdown, run every outlet hot and cold: CDC says Legionella grows best at 77–113°F. Check the heater is at 120°F.

Will HyrePlumber send a plumber?

No. HyrePlumber sends no plumbers and answers no emergency calls. Call a local licensed plumber directly. If someone is hurt, call 911.

HyrePlumber tools

Is this a plumbing emergency?

Smell gas? Leave the building now and call 911 and the gas utility from outside. Water pouring in? Close the main shut-off first.

Leave first if you smell gas No switches, phones or flames inside. Call 911 and the gas utility once you are outside. HyrePlumber sends no plumbers and answers no emergency calls.

A plumbing problem is an emergency when you cannot stop the water, sewage is backing up, or water is near electricity. Close the main shut-off for a burst pipe, stop all water use for sewage, and stay out of water near outlets.

If you smell gas, leave and call 911 from outside. A contained drip can wait for normal hours.

Check what is happening

Pick the closest match. Nothing is stored or emailed.

— Do this

— Why

— Who to call

What this assumed —

Triage on the symptom you picked, not a diagnosis.

Safety first: gas, electricity and sewage

Gas smell, hissing gas line or a carbon monoxide alarm. Leave the building now. Do not use switches, phones or flames inside. Call 911 and the gas utility from outside.

Water near outlets or the electrical panel. Stay out of the water. Turn off the main breaker only if you can reach it standing dry. Otherwise call the electric utility or 911.

Sewage backing up. Stop using all water in the house. Keep people and pets away.

HyrePlumber sends no plumbers and answers no emergency calls. If someone is hurt, call 911.

If water is coming in right now

In this order. The first step needs no plumber.

1
Close the nearest valve, or the main
The stop valve under the sink or behind the toilet if the leak is at a fixture; the cold valve into the water heater if it is the heater. If you are unsure, close the main shut-off.
2
Keep away from water near electricity
Only switch off the breaker if you can reach the panel standing dry. If you cannot, call the electric utility.
3
Photograph the damage
Wide shots of each room, close shots of what failed, and any water line on the walls, before anything is moved. Your insurer will ask.
4
Remove standing water and move air
Mop, pump or vacuum what you can, and move belongings off wet floors.
5
Then call a plumber
Say whether the water is stopped, what kind of water it is, and whether it is near electricity.

How soon to act on each problem

Whether you can stop the water matters more than how much there is. The last column is when you should act, not how fast anyone will arrive.

Problem	Category	What it is doing	When to act
Sewage backing up into the house	Emergency	Contaminating floors and anything porous	Act now: stop all water use and call a plumber who handles sewage.
Burst pipe you cannot shut off	Emergency	Soaking structure and belongings for as long as it runs	Act now: the main valve first.
Burst pipe you have shut off	Urgent	Nothing more, once the water is off	Normal hours, unless it leaves you without water or heat in freezing weather.
No water at all	Urgent	Makes the house hard to live in; in winter, pipes can freeze	Today. Check with a neighbor or the utility first. If the street is dry too, call the utility.
Relief valve discharging	Urgent, safety	Too much heat or pressure, or a worn valve	Today. Turn the heater off and close its cold supply. Never cap the valve.
Several drains backing up and gurgling	Urgent	A main drain or sewer line not moving waste	Today. Stop using water; this is a sewer camera job.
Slow leak inside a wall or floor	Urgent	Wetting the structure out of sight	Within days. Shut that branch if you can and book leak detection.
No hot water, everything else fine	Not an emergency	Inconvenience	Normal hours.
One blocked fixture	Not an emergency	Nothing, if you stop using it	Normal hours.
Dripping faucet	Not an emergency	Water: EPA says more than 3,000 gallons a year at one drip per second	Book a repair.

HyrePlumber’s guidance on how soon to act, not a diagnosis and not a promise of when a plumber can come.

Find your main shut-off before you need it

Ten minutes on a dry day.

Where to look

Where the water pipe enters the house: a basement wall, a crawl space, a utility closet or the garage. In warm climates it can be outside, near the foundation or in a box by the curb.

Test it

Turn it off and check a faucet. If it will not close or it leaks, book a plumber to replace it.

Label it

Tag the valve and show everyone in the house where it is and which way it turns.

After the water is off

The water heater. If the system is being drained, switch the heater off at the breaker or set the gas control to off, so it does not heat an empty tank.

Flush before use. CDC: “Legionella grows best between 77°F–113°F (25°C–45°C).” Water standing in pipes can sit in that range. When the water comes back after a long shutdown, run every outlet, hot and cold.

Check the temperature. CPSC: “The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges all users to lower their water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.” If anyone changed the thermostat, check it.

Freezing. A shut-off system left full in an unheated house can freeze. Say so when you call.

What to say and ask when you call a plumber

Whether the water is stopped
It changes what the plumber needs to bring.
What the water is
Clean supply, drain water or sewage.
Whether it is near electricity
Say so at the start.
The call-out charge and hourly rate
Ask before work starts.
Is tonight a temporary fix or the repair?
An emergency visit can make things safe and leave the repair for later.
Do not sign an open-ended contract at night
Agree to the work that stops the damage; price the rest in daylight.
Do not let demolition start before photographs
Your insurer will want to see the damage first.

Questions this checker answers

When is a plumbing problem an emergency?: When water is coming in and you cannot stop it, when sewage backs up into the house, or when water reaches outlets or the electrical panel. A contained drip, one blocked fixture or no hot water can wait for normal hours.
What do I do if a pipe bursts?: Close the main shut-off first, or the stop valve at the fixture if the leak is there. Keep away from water near electricity. Then photograph the damage and call a plumber.
What do I do if sewage is backing up?: Stop using every sink, toilet, shower and appliance, and keep people and pets away. Call a plumber who handles sewage backups, and your insurer if it reached living space.
I smell gas near the water heater. What do I do?: Leave the building now. Do not touch switches or use a phone inside. Call 911 and the gas utility from outside. Do not look for the leak.
There is no water in the house. Is that an emergency?: It is urgent. Check the main shut-off, then ask a neighbor or the water utility whether the street has water. If only your house is dry, call a plumber.
What should I do after the water is off?: Switch the water heater off if the system is draining. When water returns after a long shutdown, run every outlet hot and cold: CDC says Legionella grows best at 77–113°F. Check the heater is at 120°F.
Will HyrePlumber send a plumber?: No. HyrePlumber sends no plumbers and answers no emergency calls. Call a local licensed plumber directly. If someone is hurt, call 911.

Sources and methodology

Figures dated September 5, 2026. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.

Monitoring Building Water (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, retrieved September 5, 2026). Legionella grows best at 77–113°F: why to flush pipes after a shutdown.
Tap Water Scalds (CPSC Publication 5098) (US Consumer Product Safety Commission, retrieved September 5, 2026). The 120°F setting.
Fix a Leak Week (US Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense, retrieved September 5, 2026). The dripping-faucet volume in the triage table.
Sanitary sewer overflows (US Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved August 26, 2026). Sewage overflows and backups as a health matter.

Plumbing emergencies The full guide: what to do, and what an emergency visit costs.
Emergency plumbing What an after-hours visit includes.
Gas line services Gas work is licensed work.
Sewer repair vs replace After a backup is cleaned up.
Water heater repair vs replace After a heater leak is stopped.

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