24-Hour Emergency Plumbing in Longview What to Do First, and What Can Wait

What is considered a plumbing emergency?

A plumbing emergency is anything that is damaging your home right now or makes it unsafe to stay. If you can’t stop it yourself in a few minutes, call.

• Water spraying, pouring or spreading across a floor or ceiling
• Sewage coming up through a tub, shower, toilet or floor drain
• No water at all, when your neighbours still have water
• A leaking water heater, especially one in the attic
• Water near outlets, the electrical panel or appliances
• A gas smell (leave first, then call 911 and the gas company)

Can it wait until morning?

The simple rule: water damage beats inconvenience. If the problem is spreading, call now. If it is contained, it can usually wait for normal hours and normal rates.

Problem	Call now or wait?	Why
Burst or split pipe	Now	Water spreads fast, into walls and floors
Sewage backing up	Now	Health risk; it gets worse each time water runs
Leaking water heater	Now (attic) / today (garage)	An attic tank leaks through the ceiling
No water in the house	Now, after checking with the city	Could be your line or a city main
Toilet overflowing and won’t stop	Now, if the shut-off valve fails	Close the valve behind the toilet first
No hot water	Can usually wait	Inconvenient, not damaging
Slow drain or one clogged sink	Can wait	Contained to one fixture
Dripping faucet or running toilet	Can wait	Wastes water, but slowly

What to do first, step by step

Burst pipe or water spraying

1. Close your main water valve (see the next section).
2. Turn off power to anything wet, at the breaker, if it is safe to reach.
3. Open a faucet at the lowest point of the house to drain the lines.
4. Call (903) 212-9500 and take photos for your insurance.

Sewage coming up a drain

1. Stop using water: no flushing, no showers, no washer or dishwasher.
2. Keep children and pets out of the area.
3. Call (903) 212-9500. Say which drains are backing up; that tells the plumber if it is one line or the main.

Water heater leaking

1. Electric: switch off its breaker. Gas: turn the control to “off”.
2. Close the cold water valve on top of the tank.
3. Put a bucket under the leak or check the drain pan, then call.

You smell gas

1. Leave the house on foot right away. Don’t touch switches, phones or the car near the house.
2. From outside, call 911 and your gas company.
3. Don’t go back in until they say it is safe. Gas lines are repaired after the area is cleared.

Where is my main water shut-off?

In many homes the main valve is where the water line enters the house: in the garage, on an outside wall, or in the crawl space. Some have a valve in a box on the homeowner’s side of the meter. Find it before you need it, and turn it once to make sure it moves.

Don’t use the valve on the city side of the meter. The City of Longview says it is city property, and turning it yourself can bring a tampering fine. If your home has no shut-off of its own, the city’s freeze plan advises installing one.

Is it the city’s problem or mine?

Water bubbling up in the street, a leak at the meter box, or a whole street with no water or low pressure points to the city’s system. Call the City of Longview water utility. If the city issues a boil water notice, follow it until it is lifted.

A leak between the meter and your house, inside your walls or under your slab is on your side. That is a job for a Longview plumber. Not sure? Ask a neighbour if their water is normal; if it is, the problem is probably yours.

Burst pipes in a hard freeze

Hard freezes are rare in Longview, which is why they do so much damage. On 16 February 2021, during Winter Storm Uri, Longview reached −5°F, its coldest temperature on record. When pipes freeze, close the main valve before they thaw, because a split pipe only starts leaking when the ice melts.

Before, during and after a freeze: frozen pipes in Longview.

How does after-hours billing work?

Most plumbing companies charge more at night, on weekends and on holidays. Ask on the phone for the after-hours rate, any trip charge, and whether the job can safely wait until morning. If you can stop the water yourself, waiting may save money. Full guide: plumbing cost in Longview.

What to say when you call

• What is happening and where (“water coming through the kitchen ceiling”)
• When it started, and whether water is still running
• Whether you closed the main valve
• Your home’s age and type (slab or crawl space), if you know it
• Then ask: the price range, any trip charge, and the after-hours rate

Emergency plumbing questions

Need emergency plumbing help now?

Shut the water off, then call. Ask for a price range on the same call.