Emergency Plumber · Newmarket

When it counts as an emergency

We sort calls into two piles. The urgent pile holds anything that is actively spreading water or sewage: a split line in the ceiling, a toilet spilling over and refusing to quit, black water rising from the floor drain, a tank heater dumping onto the furnace room floor, or a dry tap everywhere on a January morning. The second pile can usually wait for the next morning: a slow sink, a drip, a toilet that runs between flushes.

If you are not sure which pile you belong in, describe it on the phone. We would rather talk you through a five-minute fix than let you sit awake guessing.

What to shut off while you wait

1. Find the main valve, typically on the front wall of the cellar where the water line enters beside the meter, and turn it clockwise until it stops.
2. For a single fixture, use the small stop under the sink or at the back of the toilet instead.
3. If the water heater is the problem, put a gas tank's dial on its pilot setting, kill the breaker for an electric one, and shut the cold inlet on top.
4. Open a low tap in the cellar to drain pressure off the lines.
5. Move boxes, rugs and electronics off the wet floor and take a few photos for your insurer.

What happens when we arrive

The first job is to stop the water for good, not just slow it down. That may mean cutting out a split section of copper and sweating in a coupling, capping a line so the rest of the house has water again, or pulling a toilet to free a blockage. Once the flow is under control we show you the damaged piece, explain what failed and why, and give you choices for the permanent repair before anything else is cut or ordered. Most Newmarket emergencies end with the house usable the same night.