Emergency Plumber in Durham, NC

Signs it really can't wait

• Water spraying from a pipe or running through a ceiling or wall
• Sewage rising out of a tub, shower or floor drain
• A water heater tank leaking from its body or flooding a closet
• The whole house suddenly without water and no City notice explaining why

A dripping faucet, a toilet that keeps refilling or a single sink you can isolate at its stop valve is usually fine until a regular appointment. If you are unsure, describe it on the call and let the plumber help you judge.

Five minutes that save the floors

1. Close the main valve. Look where the supply line enters the house: a crawl space, basement wall, garage or utility closet. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops.
2. Kill power only from a dry spot. If water is near outlets, an electric heater or the panel, shut those breakers only if you can reach them without standing in water.
3. Stop sending water down. During a backup, hold off on flushing, showers, dishes and laundry.
4. Photograph everything. Pictures of the source and the damage help the plumber and any insurance claim.

If you smell gas

Don't flip switches, light anything or use a phone inside. Get out first. From outside, call 911 or Enbridge Gas North Carolina, the gas utility formerly known as PSNC, at 1-877-776-2427. Gas piping repairs come after the utility has made the area safe.

Old valves in older Durham houses

Durham's median home was built in 1995, but close to 30% of the city's housing predates 1980, much of it in the older neighborhoods near downtown and Duke. A main shutoff that hasn't moved in decades can seize or break when you finally need it. Find yours and give it a test turn on a calm day, and have a plumber replace it if it won't budge.

Public main or your pipe?

Inside city limits, water and sewer come from the City of Durham Department of Water Management. If water is surfacing in the street, or several neighbors have the same backup, the trouble may be on the public side, so contact the City. A problem inside the house or in the service line on your side of the property is work for a plumber.

How the call works

You'll be connected with an independent local plumber who serves Durham. Have the address handy and say whether the water is shut off. Night and weekend visits often cost more, so ask how the visit is billed before anyone heads your way. Arrival times depend on the hour and how busy plumbers are, and no particular time can be promised.