Emergencies

Emergency service

Burst pipes, flooding, no heat in January, no hot water before work. When it can't wait for Monday, call and you'll get a straight answer on when we can be there — not a ticket number.

Emergency service

Emergency plumbing is mostly about the first ten minutes. What you do before anyone arrives usually decides whether this is a repair or a repair plus a floor, a ceiling and an insurance claim.

So the single most useful thing you can do today, while nothing is wrong, is find your main shut-off valve and make sure it actually turns. In a burst-pipe situation that one piece of knowledge is worth more than anything we can tell you over the phone.

What counts as an emergency

A burst pipe or an active leak you can't stop
Flooding from a failed tank or supply line
No heat in freezing weather
Sewage backing up into the house
No water at all to the property
A gas or fuel smell — call your utility or 911 first, then us
A water heater discharging or leaking badly

Call (902) 350-6153

Worth a call

What to do while you wait

Find your main shut-off before you need it

It's usually where the supply enters the house — near the meter, at the front wall of the basement, or by the pressure tank on a well system. Turn it once now to be sure it isn't seized. Five minutes today, and it's the difference between a puddle and a flood.

What to do while you wait

Burst pipe: close the main shut-off, then open the lowest tap to drain the system
Cut power at the breaker to anything water is reaching
Failed water heater: shut off its supply valve and its power or fuel
No heat: leave the thermostat where it is, don't cycle it repeatedly
Keep taps on exterior walls dripping so the lines don't freeze
Move what you can out of the water's way, and photograph the damage
Don't run any fixture that's backing up

Prevention

Most winter emergencies are avoidable

The calls that come in during a cold snap are remarkably repetitive: uninsulated runs in crawl spaces, outdoor taps that were never drained, seasonal properties that weren't shut down properly, and heating systems that were already limping in November.

None of that is bad luck. An hour of preparation in the autumn removes most of it.

Drain and isolate outdoor taps before the first freeze
Insulate exposed pipe in crawl spaces and unheated areas
Shut seasonal properties down properly, not just turn the heat off
Service the heating system before the cold rather than during
Know where the main shut-off is — and check it turns

Common questions

Before you book

What should I do first with a burst pipe?

Close the main shut-off valve, then open the lowest tap in the house to drain the pressure out of the system. Cut the power at the breaker to anything the water is reaching. Then call — those two steps make far more difference than anything else.

Are you available outside normal hours?

Emergency service is available. Current availability is [EMERGENCY HOURS] — call (902) 350-6153 and we'll tell you straight away when we can be there.

Do emergency call-outs cost more?

Any difference in emergency rates is [CONFIRM]. Whatever it is, you'll be told on the phone before we head out — you will not find out from the invoice.

My pipes are frozen but haven't burst. Is that an emergency?

It's urgent. A frozen pipe is a pipe that's about to split, and the damage usually happens when it thaws. Don't use an open flame on it. Call, and in the meantime open the affected tap so there's somewhere for pressure to go as it melts.

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