What Counts as a Plumbing Emergency?

• Burst or leaking pipes. As long as the water runs, it's soaking into something.
• Sewer backing up into the house.
• Flooding. Standing water spreads into flooring, drywall and anything stored low.
• No water at all.
• A leaking water heater. It won't stop on its own, and the damage is usually worse than the heater. What to do when the water heater is leaking covers the first steps.
• No hot water in cold weather.
• A gas smell. Leave the house first and make the call from outside.

A dripping faucet, a slow drain that still drains, or a toilet that keeps running after a flush is worth fixing, but it isn't flooding anything tonight. A water bill that keeps climbing with no visible water is serious, but it's a leak to find rather than a flood to stop. The signs of a slab leak explain how to tell. If you still can't decide, call anyway: Jordan will tell you honestly whether it can wait, even when that costs him the trip.

• Shut off the water to the affected fixture or area. If you can't find that valve, shut off the main.
• Move anything valuable away from the water.
• Keep electrical appliances away from standing water.

Jordan Graham, who holds California C-36 license #1145559 and has 15+ years in the trade, answers the phone himself, not a call center. He'll tell you what to shut off while you're on the line.

Emergency work at Platinum Pipe Solutions is billed at standard rates, and you get the price before anyone starts. Service calls start at $75, and payment is cash or check.

The first move on site is always to stop the damage: water off, water contained, then work out what actually happened. Most of the time the permanent repair happens on the same visit, so there's no second appointment to schedule. For burst pipes, sewer backups and flooding, see emergency plumbing from Platinum Pipe Solutions.