Is It a Plumbing Emergency? What to Do and What Happens When You Call

A plumbing emergency means active flooding or a broken water pipe, or a sewer backing up into your home. Tropical Plumbing Co. offers 24/7 emergency service for those situations, with an on-call emergency technician every day, including weekends. If that’s what is happening, stop the water if you can do it safely, keep people away from any wastewater, and call us. Don’t use the website form for an emergency.

What counts as an emergency

We keep the definition narrow so the on-call technician goes where they’re needed most:

• Active flooding or a broken water pipe. Water is pouring out and won’t stop on its own.
• A sewer backing up into your home. Wastewater is coming up through a tub, shower, toilet or floor drain.

Many urgent-feeling problems don’t fit that definition: no hot water, a slow drain, a running toilet, a dripping faucet. They still matter, and we’ll book them as a regular service call at the next available time. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What to do in the first few minutes

If water is spreading

1. Shut off the water only if you can reach the valve safely. If the leak is at a fixture with its own valve, close that. Otherwise, close the main water shutoff. Don’t enter standing water or force a stuck valve.
2. Stay clear of electricity. The CDC warns never to turn power on or off, or use an electric tool or appliance, while standing in water. If you’d have to walk through standing water to reach the main power switch, call an electrician to turn it off.
3. From a dry, safe place, take photos for your records. Move belongings only if you can do so without entering water or approaching electrical equipment.

If sewage is backing up

1. Stop using water in the house. Every flush, shower and load of laundry adds to the backup.
2. Keep children and pets away from the area. The CDC advises keeping them away until cleanup is complete, and wearing rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles if sewage is involved. Read the CDC’s cleanup safety guidance.
3. Don’t open a sewer cleanout or pour drain cleaner into a backed-up line.

It helps to know where your main water shutoff is before you ever need it. If you’re not sure, ask us at your next visit.

Call us, don’t use the form

When it’s an emergency, call (239) 542-0787. Our online forms are for requests that can wait. An emergency needs a phone call.

Outside office hours, call the same number and press 1. Our after-hours assistant answers. You can choose to connect directly with the on-call team, or leave your name, address and callback number, which are written down and texted to the on-call team. If you leave a message and the damage is continuing, call back and ask to be connected to the on-call team rather than waiting.

When you call, tell us:

• That it’s an emergency, and which kind: flooding water or a sewer backup
• Whether you’ve been able to shut off the water
• Your address and the best number to reach you
• What you can see: where the water is coming from, which drains are backing up

We can’t promise an exact arrival time over the phone, and we won’t. We’ll tell you honestly where things stand.

What it costs to have us come out

Our published service-call fee is $59, waived when you go ahead with the repair. If you call after hours, confirm the applicable charges with the person arranging the visit before a technician is sent. You’ll get the repair options and what each costs before work starts. Members of our VIP Home Protection Plan have no trip charge and priority scheduling. Priority does not guarantee an immediate arrival.

How the warranty works

Two different warranties can apply to a repair:

• Our workmanship. We stand behind our labor with a one-year warranty. If you believe there is a problem with our workmanship, call the office so we can assess it under that warranty.
• Equipment and materials. Parts and equipment, such as a water heater, carry the manufacturer’s own warranty. Those terms vary by manufacturer and model, so keep the paperwork.

After the emergency

Once the water is stopped and the pipe or line is fixed, there may be drying and repairs to drywall, flooring or cabinets. Those are specialist trades. We’ll tell you who you need.

If a sewer backup was caused by a blockage in the main line, ask what caused it. Sometimes clearing the line is enough. Sometimes a camera inspection shows an underlying problem worth fixing so it doesn’t happen again. Learn about our drain and sewer cleaning service.

For leaks that aren’t an emergency, such as a damp spot or a water bill that jumped, see our leak detection and repair service.

Save our number in your phone now: (239) 542-0787.

Author: Tropical Plumbing Co.. Qualified review: Nathan Lowmaster, owner, Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor CFC1431517.