Emergency Signs
Sign 1: Water actively spraying or flooding. Shut your main water valve and call. Every minute of water flow is more damage.
Sign 2: Sewage backing up through floor drains or toilets. This is a health emergency — bacteria, odors, and potential structure damage. Stay away from the area and call.
Sign 3: Gas odor near your water heater, boiler, or gas lines. Leave the building. Don't touch switches. Call 911, then a plumber.
Sign 4: No heat in winter when the boiler should be running. Particularly urgent if temps are below freezing — frozen pipes can follow a no-heat situation quickly.
Urgent Signs
Sign 5: Slow drain in multiple fixtures at the same time. Multiple slow drains point to the main sewer line, not individual clogs. A main line backup is coming if you don't act.
Sign 6: Rust-colored water from hot taps. The anode rod in your water heater has likely failed. Sediment is building in the tank. The heater may fail soon.
Sign 7: Water pooling around the water heater base or visible mineral crust at pipe joints. Active leaks that are still small — they won't stay small.
When to DIY vs Call
DIY OK: Dripping faucet (if you have the right washer and shutoff), running toilet (flapper replacement), clogged toilet (with a plunger).
Call a plumber: Any leak behind a wall or under a slab, any main sewer issue, any work on gas lines, any work requiring a permit (water heater replacement in most municipalities).
Q1: How do I shut off the water to my whole house?
A1: Your main shutoff valve is usually near where the supply enters the house — basement or utility room, often near the water meter. It's typically a gate valve (round handle) or ball valve (lever handle). Turn clockwise to close.
Q2: My toilet has been running for a week. Is that a plumbing emergency?
A2: It's not an emergency, but a running toilet wastes 200+ gallons per day and will add significantly to your water bill. It's usually a $20 flapper fix — a plumber can handle it in 15 minutes.