To prepare for a plumbing emergency, find and tag your main water shutoff, learn the valves at each fixture and the water heater, and know where the gas meter and sewer cleanout are. Save the right phone numbers, keep a few basic supplies, and handle the upkeep that prevents most emergencies: hoses, pressure, grease, and roots.
What should you locate before anything goes wrong?
Your shutoffs, starting with the main. FEMA's Ready.gov says "It is important that everyone in your household learn how to shut off the main water valve to the house," and advises: "Find the shut-off valve for the main water line that enters your house and tag it for easy identification."
Walk the house once and find each of these:
| What to find | Where it usually is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Main water shutoff | Where the water line enters the house, often an outside wall or the garage | Stops every leak at once |
| Fixture valves | Under sinks, behind toilets, behind the washer | Stops one leak and leaves the rest of the house on |
| Water heater cold valve | On the cold pipe above the tank | Stops a tank leak |
| Water heater gas valve or breaker | On the gas line beside the heater, or at the panel | Cuts the heat before you drain |
| Sewer cleanout | A capped pipe in the yard or near the foundation | Where a plumber clears a backup |
| Electrical panel | Garage, utility room, or outside wall | Water and power don't mix |
Test the main valve while nothing is wrong. Old valves stick, and it's better to learn that on a quiet afternoon. If it won't turn, have it replaced. Our page on how to shut off water to a fixture shows the common valve types, and what a sewer cleanout is shows how to spot one.
### What about the water meter and the gas meter?
Leave both to the utility unless it's a true emergency. Phoenix's water FAQ says to use your house valve, and if it's broken, "contact the city to have the service turned off at the meter. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TURN OFF THE WATER AT THE METER YOURSELF."
For gas, know where your meter is, but don't plan on touching it. Southwest Gas says that if you suspect a leak you should "Exit the area or building immediately," then "From a safe place, call 911 and Southwest Gas at 877-860-6020, day or night." Ready.gov adds that "If you turn off the gas for any reason, only a qualified professional can turn it back on."
Which phone numbers should you save?
The ones you'd need in the dark, with water running. Put these in your phone and on a card near the main valve:
- City of Phoenix water emergency: 602-261-8000. The city lists it for an emergency that "requires field staff to turn off your water due to a leak," and as its 24/7 number.
- City of Phoenix sewer, business hours: 602-262-6691. For an overflowing manhole. After hours and weekends, the sewer FAQ lists 602-261-8000.
- Southwest Gas: 877-860-6020, plus 911, for a gas smell, day or night.
- Your electric utility's outage line. It's printed on your bill.
- A licensed plumber that answers 24/7.
- Your insurance company's claims line and your policy number.
If you live outside Phoenix, look up your own city's water emergency number now. Our page on who to call about a water leak in Phoenix explains which problems go to the city and which to a plumber.
What should you keep on hand?
A small kit covers the first hour of most plumbing emergencies. Keep it where you'd reach it without searching:
- A flashlight with fresh batteries. Valves live in dark cabinets and closets.
- Rubber gloves, rubber boots, and eye protection for sewage cleanup.
- Old towels and a couple of buckets.
- A wet/dry vacuum if you have room. It moves water much faster than towels.
- An adjustable wrench for a stuck fixture valve or a loose supply line.
- A garden hose long enough to reach from the water heater drain valve to outside.
- Unscented household bleach for disinfecting after a sewage backup.
- Leak sensors by the water heater, the washer, and under sinks.
Keep a copy of your shutoff map in the kit, and show everyone in the house where the main valve is. See whether water leak sensors are worth installing.
What upkeep prevents most plumbing emergencies?
The same handful of causes show up again and again, and each has a simple fix:
- 1Replace washer hoses on a schedule. State Farm says to "Replace supply hoses every three to five years," consider "steel braided hoses," and turn off the washer valves if you're away "for several days." See how often to replace washing machine hoses.
- 2Check your water pressure. Phoenix says pressure "greater than 80 psi requires action by the home or business owner as it can damage your water pipes and appliances," and requires a pressure regulator on the customer's side of the meter. The plumbing code sets the same line: IPC 604.8 calls for a pressure-reducing valve "Where water pressure within a building exceeds 80 psi." See what home water pressure should be.
- 3Keep grease out of the drain. Phoenix says to let it "cool in the cookware that was used, and then scrape it into the trash can."
- 4Plant away from the sewer line. The city advises against planting "a tree or large shrub too near your property line, over or near the sewer line or cleanout for your home."
- 5Keep the water heater in shape. Watch for rust, drips at the base, or water at the relief valve pipe. See why a water heater leaks from the bottom.
- 6Protect pipes on freezing nights. Phoenix's FAQ suggests you "open cabinet doors and let the warmer air inside the house circulate under sinks." See whether pipes can freeze in Phoenix.
### How do you prepare for the insurance side?
Take photos before anything happens, and check your policy for sewer backup coverage. The Insurance Information Institute says to "take 'before' photos" of areas likely to be affected and to "create a home inventory." It also notes that sewer backup coverage "is available from most providers," which matters because a standard policy often leaves it out. A backwater valve, which the III says "allows sewage to go out, but not to come back in," is another option for a home with low drains. See whether homeowners insurance covers a sewer backup.
What do you do when a plumbing emergency happens?
Stop the water, make it safe, then call. In order:
- 1Shut off the water at the fixture if the leak is in one place, or at the main if it isn't.
- 2Stay safe around electricity. Don't touch the panel or outlets while standing in water.
- 3Leave for a gas smell. Call 911 and Southwest Gas from outside.
- 4Call the right people: the city for a leak on its side of the meter, a plumber for the rest.
- 5Protect and document. Move valuables, start drying, and take photos.
Our step-by-step pages cover the common ones: a leaking water heater, sewage in the tub or shower, sewage from the yard cleanout, a burst washer hose, and a flood or major leak. For help deciding whether it can wait, see when to call an emergency plumber.
HQ Plumbing & Air answers plumbing emergencies 24/7 across the Phoenix area. We can also replace a stuck main valve, install a pressure regulator, or check your water heater before something fails. We're licensed and insured, with free estimates and upfront pricing. See our emergency plumbing service.
Find the main valve today, and tag it. That one step does more than anything else on this list.