You’ve just walked into the laundry, and there’s water across the floor. Or you’ve woken up to the sound of something rushing inside a wall. Or you’ve gone to flush the toilet, and it’s overflowing and not stopping.

Everything in you wants to fix it immediately – but you don’t know where to start, and every second feels like more damage. That panic is completely understandable. It’s also the thing most likely to make the situation worse.

The first ten minutes of a plumbing emergency matter more than most people realise. What you do (and what you don’t do) in that window makes a real difference to how much damage your home sustains before a plumber arrives. Here’s how to handle it.

Step one: stop the water at the source

This is the only priority in the first sixty seconds. Every home has a main water shut-off valve, and every person living in that home should know where it is before an emergency happens. In most Adelaide homes, it’s located near the front of the property, close to the meter. Turn it off – clockwise until it stops – and the flow of water into the house stops with it.

If the problem is isolated to one fixture – an overflowing toilet or a burst pipe under a sink – there’s usually a smaller isolation valve right there at the fixture. Turning that off means you don’t have to cut water to the whole house.

For a gas emergency – if you smell gas anywhere in your home – don’t touch any switches, don’t use your phone inside, and get everyone out immediately. Turn off the gas at the meter outside and call from a safe distance.

Step two: reduce the damage while you wait

Once the water is off, turn your attention to what’s already on the floor or in the walls. Move anything that can be moved away from the water. Towels, buckets, and mopping up what you can won’t fix the problem, we have to admit. However, they can save flooring, cabinetry, and belongings while you wait.

If water has reached any power points, switches, or appliances – don’t touch them. Turn off the electricity to that part of the house at the switchboard if you can do it safely and without standing in water to reach it. Water and live circuits are a serious hazard, and it’s not worth the risk.

Take a few photos before you clean anything up. Your insurer will want them, and having a clear record of where the water was and what it reached can save you a significant headache down the track.

Step three: call a licensed emergency plumber

A burst pipe, a failed hot water system, a sewer overflow, or a gas leak are not situations for a temporary fix or a YouTube tutorial. You need a licensed plumber – and you need one quickly.

When you call, tell them exactly what you’re seeing: where the water is coming from, if you can tell, whether you’ve been able to isolate the valve, and whether there’s any gas smell involved. That information helps the plumber arrive prepared rather than spending the first ten minutes of their visit figuring out what you already know.

This is Where We Take Charge

LJ Plumbing Solutions runs a genuine 24/7 emergency service across all Adelaide suburbs – no call-out fees, any time of day or night. Save the number now, before you need it: 0410 999 048.

The best thing you can do in a plumbing emergency is stay calm, shut off the water, and call someone who can actually fix it. Everything else can wait five minutes.