Emergency Plumber in Erie, PA

A plumbing emergency in Erie usually means one of four things: a pipe has split in the cold, a water heater has let go, a drain or sewer line is backing up into the basement, or a fitting under a sink has failed. Each one gets worse by the minute. The steps below limit the damage until a plumber arrives.

First five minutes

1. 1
   Close the main water valve. In most Erie houses with a basement, the main valve sits near the water meter where the service line comes through the front foundation wall. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops. A lever valve turns a quarter turn so the handle sits across the pipe.
2. 2
   Open a faucet on the lowest floor. This drains the pressure out of the lines and slows the leak.
3. 3
   Deal with the water heater. If the tank itself is leaking, close the cold water valve on top of the tank. Set a gas heater to off and switch off the breaker for an electric heater.
4. 4
   Stay clear of electricity. Do not walk through standing water near a panel, a furnace or an outlet that is underwater.
5. 5
   Call. Tell the plumber what is leaking, where, and whether the water is off.

If the leak is outside your house, such as water bubbling up at the curb or in the street, that is a job for the water utility. Erie Water Works runs a 24-hour emergency line at 814-870-8087 (Erie Water Works customer service).

If you smell gas, leave the house first and call National Fuel Gas or 911 from outside. Do not flip switches or use a phone inside.

What counts as an emergency

Call right away for:

• A burst or split pipe, or water running inside a wall or ceiling.
• A leaking water heater, or water heater that smells of gas.
• Sewage coming up through a basement floor drain, tub or toilet.
• No water at all in winter, which often means a frozen line.
• A toilet or fixture that will not stop running and has no working shutoff.

Some problems can wait for a normal appointment, as long as the water is off at that fixture: a dripping faucet, one slow drain, or a toilet that runs now and then.

Why Erie gets so many emergency calls

Erie's housing is old. Census data for the city shows a median build year of 1949, and 39.2% of homes were built in 1939 or earlier. Old pipe, old valves and old water heaters fail without much warning. Add the Lake Erie snow belt, with 104.3 inches of snow in an average year and lows that have reached minus 18 F, and winter is the busiest time for urgent plumbing work. Many emergency calls in January and February start as a frozen pipe that splits when it thaws.

One more local problem: old main shutoff valves. A gate valve that has not been turned in decades may not close all the way, or may start leaking at the stem once it moves. If yours will not shut, ask the plumber about replacing it while they are there, so you are ready next time.

What happens when you call

A licensed local plumber who takes urgent work in Erie calls you back. They will ask what is leaking and where you are, then tell you when they can come. When they arrive, they find the cause, make the area safe and give you an estimate for the repair before doing it.

Whether a plumber can come out late at night or on a holiday depends on the business that takes your call. Ask when they call you back. Emergency visits outside normal hours often cost more, so ask about any after-hours charge up front.

After the emergency

Take photos of the damage and the failed part before it is thrown away. Your homeowner's insurer may want them. Ask the plumber to write down what failed and why. If the cause was a frozen pipe, ask what would keep that section from freezing again, such as rerouting it, insulating it or adding heat to that space.

Common questions

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