Plumbing Emergencies in Manassas Park, VA: What Professionals Advise Until Help Arrives

In a plumbing emergency in Manassas Park, VA, the first move is almost always the same: stop the water, protect people and property, then call a licensed plumber. The steps below are what plumbers advise homeowners to do in the first few minutes of the most common emergencies, from a burst pipe to a smell of gas. Read through it once now, while nothing is wrong, and find your shutoff valves before you need them. ## Step One for Almost Everything: Find Your Main Shutoff Most plumbing emergencies get smaller the moment the water stops. Every home has a main shutoff valve where the water line enters the house. - **Where to look:** in a basement or utility room on the front wall facing the street, near the water heater, or in a garage. In townhomes it is often in a utility closet on the lowest floor. - **How it works:** a lever handle turns a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe. A round wheel handle turns clockwise until it stops. - **If it will not move:** do not force it with a wrench hard enough to snap it. There is usually a second shutoff at the meter, which may require a meter key. Once a year, turn the main valve off and back on so it does not seize. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. ## Burst or Leaking Pipe A burst pipe can put a lot of water on the floor quickly. 1. Shut off the main water valve. 2. If water is near outlets, cords or the electrical panel, stay out of the wet area and shut off power to that part of the house at the breaker only if you can reach the panel safely and dry. 3. Open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain pressure from the lines. 4. Move valuables, rugs and electronics out of the way and start removing standing water. Then call for [plumbing repair](/service/plumbing-repair/). Frozen pipes that have not burst yet should be thawed slowly with warm air from a hair dryer or space heater kept at a safe distance, never with an open flame. ## Overflowing Toilet 1. Lift the tank lid and push the flapper down to stop water entering the bowl. 2. Turn the shutoff valve behind the toilet clockwise. 3. Once the water stops rising, try a flange plunger. If the toilet keeps overflowing, or other drains in the house back up at the same time, the clog is likely in the main line, not the toilet, and plunging will not fix it. ## Sewer Backup Water coming up through a floor drain, tub or lowest toilet, especially when another fixture is used, points to a blockage in the main sewer line. - Stop using water anywhere in the house. Every flush, shower and load of laundry adds to the backup. - Keep children and pets away from the area. Sewage carries bacteria. - Do not pour drain chemicals into a backed-up line. They rarely clear a main line clog and make the work more hazardous for the plumber. This calls for a professional. Tree roots, a collapsed section or a heavy blockage often need camera work and [sewer line repair](/service/sewer-line-repair/). ## Water Heater Leak 1. Turn off the cold water valve on the pipe going into the top of the heater. 2. For an electric heater, turn off its breaker. For a gas heater, turn the gas control knob to off or pilot. 3. If the leak is heavy, connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom and run it to a floor drain or outside, keeping in mind that the water is hot. A drip from the relief valve or a fitting is often fixable. Water seeping from the tank itself usually means the tank has failed. Either way, a licensed plumber can tell you which it is during a [water heater repair](/service/water-heater-repair/) visit. ## If You Smell Gas A gas smell is not a plumbing job to start. It is a safety emergency. - Leave the house right away with everyone in it, including pets. - Do not flip light switches, use the phone, start a car in an attached garage, or do anything that could make a spark inside. - Once you are outside and well away, call your gas company's emergency line or 911. - Do not go back in until the gas company or emergency responders say it is safe. After the source has been found and the gas is shut off, a plumber can repair a leaking gas line or appliance connection. ## What to Tell the Plumber When You Call Clear details help the plumber arrive with the right parts. - What happened and when it started. - Whether you were able to shut off the water, gas or power. - Where the problem is: which floor, which fixture, inside a wall or ceiling. - The type and approximate age of the water heater, if that is the issue. - Whether more than one drain is backing up. ## Photos for Your Insurance Company Before cleanup goes too far, take photos and short videos of the damage, the source of the leak and any affected belongings. Keep damaged items until your insurer says you can discard them, and hold on to receipts for cleanup supplies, fans and repairs. Policies differ a great deal, so call your insurance company to ask what your coverage includes. ## Help in Manassas Park Any Time Brick Street Plumbing Heat & Air serves homeowners in [Manassas Park](/manassas-park/) and the surrounding area. We answer 24/7, and there are no overtime fees, so an 11pm emergency costs the same as a call at noon. Our licensed plumbers handle burst pipes, sewer backups, water heater failures and the rest. Call [(240) 969-4911](tel:+12409694911) when something goes wrong.