Our Work · Emergencies

Emergency Plumbing in Newmarket

In a plumbing emergency the first five minutes matter more than anything a plumber does later. Stop the water, protect the electrics, then call.

A plumber picks up at any hour
Walk-through to your main shut-off while we drive
Repair parts for copper and PEX on the van
Floor dried where we worked before we leave

Cues for an emergency plumber

A pipe, joint or appliance hose spraying or gushing.
Sewage coming up through a floor drain, tub or toilet.
No water at all in the house, especially in deep cold.
Water near the electrical panel or running through light fixtures.
A rotten-egg odour by the heater: clear out, then, out on the sidewalk, dial 911 or the Enbridge emergency number.

Emergency call sheet

First thing we ask: Is the water still running, and can you reach the main shut-off?
What we bring: Repair couplings for copper and PEX, caps, a wet vac, drain machines, a spare pump
What we stop first: The source: valve off, line capped, drain opened, pump running
What we leave you with: A dry floor where we worked and a plain note on what still needs doing

What fails inside the pipe, and why

Winter is the busy season. Hose bibs left connected, pipes in exterior walls and crawl spaces under additions freeze and split when temperatures plunge. Spring and summer bring the other wave: thaw water and heavy storms push groundwater into sump pits and surcharge sewers. Water heaters fail year-round, most often once they pass the ten-year mark.

Your first five minutes with a leak

Close the main. Usually in the basement where the line enters, near the meter. Turn clockwise or a quarter turn on a lever valve.
Kill the power to soaked rooms at the breaker panel, and only from dry footing.
Stop using drains while sewage is rising, and warn the household.
Open a low tap so the lines bleed down.
Call us and describe what you see. We tell you what else to do while we drive over.

What decides how big the job gets

Time of day, weekends and holidays.
Whether we make it safe tonight and finish the repair later.
Access through finished ceilings and walls.
Parts needed on the spot, such as a water heater.

Shut it off and call, or book it?

Water travelling where it never should? Phone straight away. A dripping outside tap or a slow bathroom drain is not an emergency; see outdoor faucet repair and bathroom drains. In older homes on streets such as those in Bristol-London, practise turning the main valve while nothing is leaking.

Asked on site

Do you answer at night?

Yes. Call the number on this page any hour and a person picks up.

Insurer or plumber, who hears first?

Shut the water, ring us, and contact the insurer after that. Snap pictures before mopping when it is safe.

What if I cannot turn the main shut-off?

Old gate valves seize. Do not force it with a pipe wrench. Call us and we talk you through the curb stop or other options.