Emergency plumber in Seattle: what to do in the first ten minutes

Who should you call first in a Seattle plumbing emergency?

Not every emergency starts with a plumber. Some start with a utility or with 911. These are the numbers published by each agency:

SPU says its Operations Response Center is staffed around the clock for sewer backups, urban flooding, water outages and water pipe breaks. These numbers apply to Seattle Public Utilities customers. If your water or sewer comes from another city or district, use the emergency number on your utility bill.

A pipe broke or water is spreading: what do you do?

1. Close the main shutoff valve. SPU says it can be indoors or outdoors, usually in a basement, crawlspace or garage. Learn where it is before you need it.
2. If the house valve is stuck or missing, SPU customers can call (206) 386-1800. SPU's shutoff guidance says customers can only operate meters that have a top shut-off valve; older meters need a special tool and only SPU crews can turn them. Meters usually sit in the parking strip or sidewalk under a metal plate marked CWM.
3. Keep away from standing water near outlets or appliances, and turn off power to the wet area only if you can reach the panel safely. SPU's sewer backup advice also says to turn off power to eliminate electrical hazards.
4. Photograph the damage before moving things, for your insurer.
5. Call a licensed plumbing contractor to repair the damaged section. SPU's frozen pipe page gives the same order: stop the water first, then get the pipe repaired.

Once the water is off, you usually have time to compare quotes. Our emergency plumbing cost guide lists typical after-hours rates.

You smell gas near the water heater or furnace: what now?

Leave first. Puget Sound Energy's safety advice is short: if you suspect a gas leak, do not hesitate, leave, then call 911 and PSE at 1-888-225-5773. Call from outside or from a neighbor's home. Do not try to find the leak yourself and do not relight a pilot light until PSE or a qualified technician says it is safe.

Carbon monoxide is the other gas risk around water heaters. The CPSC lists headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion as symptoms, says to get to fresh air and call 911, and recommends CO alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas.

A pipe is frozen: how do you thaw it safely?

Seattle does not freeze often, but pipes in crawlspaces, garages and exterior walls can split during cold snaps. SPU advises:

• If a faucet gives only a trickle, suspect a frozen pipe. Look along exterior walls and where the water service enters through the foundation.
• Keep the faucet open, then warm the pipe with towels soaked in hot water, an electric heating pad or a hair dryer. Do not use electrical devices near standing water.
• Never use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater or other open flame. SPU warns a blowtorch can make the water boil and the pipe explode.
• If you cannot find or reach the frozen section, call a licensed plumber.

To prevent it, SPU suggests opening under-sink cabinet doors on exterior walls, letting the cold faucet farthest from your front door drip in severe cold, keeping the thermostat no lower than 55 degrees even when away, and closing foundation vents during freezing weather.

Sewage is backing up: is it your line or the city's?

Stop using water. SPU's side sewer backup page says to protect people from exposure, call a plumber, and call SPU at (206) 386-1800 for a blockage in the mainline. SPU repairs the public sewer mainline when it is damaged or obstructed, but the side sewer from your house to the main belongs to you. Before anyone clears a side sewer blockage, SPU says to call PSE so that a gas line is not damaged. Document the damage and keep cleanup invoices; if an SPU sewer issue caused the backup, you can file a claim with the city. Our side sewer repair page explains the next steps.

What should you tell the plumber you call?

Give your address, what failed, whether water or gas is off and how long it leaked. Ask for the company name and look it up in the L&I verify tool while you wait. Ask to see the plumber's L&I certificate.

This website is an information guide, not an emergency service. We do not answer phones, cannot send anyone to your home and do not reply to emails immediately.