Are You Sure It IS an Emergency?
Let Us Help You Make the Right Choice.
Plumbing problems are stressful. But not every leak, clog or plumbing failure requires an emergency service call.
Before paying emergency rates, ask yourself one simple question:
“Do I Have Time to Wait?”
If waiting could allow the problem to cause more damage, create a health or safety concern, or leave you without an essential plumbing service, you may need emergency help.
Is the Problem Still Happening?
Is water still flowing, sewage still backing up, or is the problem actively getting worse?
Could Waiting Cause More Damage?
Water behind a wall, through a ceiling or spreading across a floor can become a much larger problem while you wait.
Is There a Health or Safety Concern?
Sewage, water near electrical equipment, or loss of an essential plumbing service may require more immediate attention.
Why Does the Difference Matter?
Emergency plumbing service can cost more than a normally scheduled repair. If the problem is stable and can safely wait, scheduling service during normal hours may save you from paying for emergency response that you do not actually need.
Choose Your Borough and Continue.
We’ll take you to emergency plumbing information for your area and help you narrow down the type of plumbing help you need.
What Is Actually Considered a Plumbing Emergency?
A plumbing problem becomes an emergency when waiting could allow significant damage to continue, create a health or safety concern, or leave you without an essential plumbing service.
Burst or Broken Pipe
If a pipe is releasing water and you cannot completely stop the flow, every minute can mean more water reaching floors, walls, ceilings or belongings.
Water You Cannot Stop
Water continuing to flow from a pipe, fixture, wall or ceiling after you have tried to shut it off should be taken seriously.
Sewage Backing Up
Wastewater entering a toilet, tub, shower, sink or floor drain can create sanitation concerns and may continue spreading if the underlying problem is not addressed.
Water Coming Through a Ceiling or Wall
The water you can see may be only part of the problem. Moisture can travel behind walls, through floors and between apartments before the source becomes obvious.
Sudden Loss of Water
If the entire home or apartment unexpectedly loses water and there is no known building or utility interruption, the cause may need prompt investigation.
Water Heater Actively Leaking
Losing hot water alone does not always make the situation an emergency. A tank that is actively releasing water into the property is a different problem.
Ask Yourself: “Do I Have Time to Wait?”
If waiting could mean more water damage, more sewage, a possible safety problem, or the loss of an essential service, the situation may require emergency attention.
Don't Keep Reading Just to Be Sure.
If you believe you have a plumbing emergency, choose your borough. We'll take you to information for your area and the type of emergency plumbing help you may need.
Before You Call a Plumber Out of Bed
If a plumber has to get out of bed in the middle of the night, it should be for a real emergency.
Emergency plumbing service can cost more because you are asking someone to respond immediately — often at night, on a weekend, or during a holiday.
A dripping faucet, slow drain, or small contained leak may be frustrating, but if the water is stopped and nothing is being damaged, it may be able to wait until normal business hours.
A burst pipe, uncontrolled water, sewage backup, or water actively spreading through your home is different. That is when waiting may cost far more than the emergency service call.
Can This Safely Wait Until Morning?
Slow Drip. Water Shut Off. Nothing Getting Worse.
If the leak is contained, you have stopped the water, and no additional damage is occurring, you may have time to call during normal business hours.
Water Is Flowing, Spreading or Causing Damage.
If the kitchen is flooding, water is coming through a ceiling, sewage is backing up, or you cannot stop the flow, every additional hour may increase the damage.
Your Plumbing May Warn You Before It Becomes an Emergency
Not every plumbing problem starts with water pouring across the floor. Sometimes the warning is a slow drain, a damp cabinet, a rusty fitting or a valve that no longer works the way it should.
These problems may not require an emergency call tonight — but they are good reasons to have a plumber take a look.
Slow Drain
A sink, shower or tub that is draining more slowly than it used to may be telling you that a blockage is beginning to develop.
Drain Stoppage
One blocked sink or tub may be inconvenient rather than an emergency if nothing is overflowing and the rest of the plumbing is working normally.
Recurring Clogs
If the same drain repeatedly stops after being cleared, the clog may be a symptom of a larger problem rather than a one-time event.
Gurgling or Bubbling Drains
Strange sounds when a sink drains or a toilet flushes may indicate restricted drainage or another plumbing condition worth checking.
Water Stains or Damp Areas
A ceiling stain, damp cabinet, soft wall or unexplained moisture may indicate a leak that has been occurring longer than you realize.
Rust, Corrosion or Mineral Buildup
Visible deterioration around older pipes, fittings or valves deserves attention — particularly in an older NYC building.
A Shutoff Valve That Won’t Work
A small leak can become a much bigger problem if you discover during the emergency that the water cannot easily be shut off.
Changes in Water Pressure
A noticeable or continuing change in water pressure can have several possible causes and may be worth investigating.
A Toilet That Keeps Acting Up
Repeated clogging, constant running, leaking around the base or a toilet that moves when used should not become the new normal.
Water Heater Warning Signs
Moisture around the unit, corrosion, unusual noises or recurring performance problems are worth checking before an active leak develops.
More Than One Drain Is Acting Up
When several drains begin slowing, gurgling or backing up around the same time, the problem may involve more than one fixture.
Old Plumbing You Simply Don’t Trust
Maybe nothing is leaking today, but old exposed piping, patched connections or visibly deteriorated plumbing can leave a homeowner wondering what might fail next.
You Don’t Have to Wait for an Emergency to Call a Plumber.
Sometimes the smartest plumbing call is the one you make before anything is flooding. If something is leaking, draining slowly, showing signs of wear, or simply making you concerned, have it checked during normal business hours.
That is a perfectly good reason to call a plumber.
Look for Plumbing Help in Your Borough.
If the problem can safely wait, save the emergency fee — but arrange to have the issue checked before it becomes something that cannot wait.