How to Handle Common Plumbing Emergencies Before Help Arrives
Featuring a Real Story from an R&B Plumbing Employee
No one ever expects to deal with plumbing emergencies—especially not at 11 p.m. But as many homeowners (and home renters) eventually learn, water has a knack for choosing the most inconvenient moments to make its dramatic entrance. As professionals in the plumbing industry, we at R & B Plumbing know the importance of acting fast. But even we sometimes find ourselves in the same situations as the customers we serve.
This blog shares real lessons from one of our own employees who, not as a plumber but as a tenant, experienced a basement flood firsthand. What follows is their story—and the essential takeaways to help you navigate your own plumbing emergencies before help arrives.
A Late-Night Discovery
It all started with a strange sensation underfoot. A nocturnal teen on a late-night trip to the bathroom stepped in a puddle in the middle of the carpeted hallway. The discovery led to a quick inspection by the parents, revealing a spreading gush around the washing machine. The time? 11 p.m.—not exactly peak hours for professional help.
In those first moments, the family did what many of us would: they turned everything off, grabbed towels, and tried in vain to sop up and contain the water. At the same time, a panicked picking up of various personal items began. Then the long process of moving everything away from the affected areas. Furniture was shifted. Bedrooms were rearranged, and the two kids reluctantly tucked themselves back into their beds in their damp floored rooms that now smelled a bit like wet dog. It was a late night.
The Morning After
By morning, the management company and landlord were on it. Our employee, the tenant in this story, had to take an unplanned day off to manage the wave of professionals now needing access at the home.
First came the plumber from a company contracted by the landlord. Annoyingly not from R&B. Not long after, a restoration company arrived to assess and mitigate water damage. Together, they began inspecting pipes, drains, and potential sources, while documenting the hazard level and the extent of the water on the floor and up the walls.
The first plumber quickly realized he didn’t have the specialized equipment needed for the job and a second company was called in. With two technicians from the new company working together they were successful.
If R&B had come to the rescue, here’s what we do. We start by finding access clean-outs— critical pipe access points often hidden in cupboards, closets or behind furniture. We may use an auger, or an air ram depending on where the clog is suspected to be. And if we’re working in an area where many pipes come together and we’re not sure what we’re dealing with, we’ll often use the drainage camera. This back up turned out to be in the laundry outflow pipe.
The next week when the drywall was removed it was easy to see the reason. The long horizontal outflow from the laundry machine with only a few inches of drop over a dozen feet and around three corners would scarcely maintain enough velocity to clear the water, never mind the fleece, rogue socks and other lint build up expected from a washer. A clog was apparently inevitable.
What We Learned: Emergency Tips for Tenants & Homeowners
Reflecting on this experience, here’s what we know what made a big difference in those first critical hours:
1. Know Where the Main Water Shut-Off Valve Is
If you only do one thing today, find and label your main water shut-off valve. Turning off the water when you don’t know where it’s coming from or why, will have the potential to reduce the flooding and limit the damage. This is especially important if the flood is from the supply lines instead of the drainage lines.
2. Stop Using Water
Turning off the dish and clothes washers, stop flushing, plug sinks etc. We don’t want to introduce any more water into a drainage system that’s already pushing back.
3. Locate Your Clean-Outs
Often in closets, basements, crawl spaces, or even outside, clean-outs allow plumbers to access your pipes directly for blockages. Know where these are. If you’re a renter, ask your landlord or property manager – ideally during the move in inspection. Having them accessible saves time and avoids unnecessary damage. When they removed the wet drywall the following week it revealed another clean out behind the wall.
4. Move Items Away from Affected Areas
The family acted quickly to move furniture and personal items away from the water— something that helped prevent further property damage. In any flood situation, get valuable items and electronics to higher, dry ground ASAP.
Most insurance and claims processes put the onus on the person who experiences the loss, to do everything they can to prevent or mitigate losses. Your early action will establish your efforts in that regard – especially if you can’t save everything.
Also, move personal items out of sink cupboards near and above the affected space. In this case they tried to access the clog from the kitchen, one floor above.
5. Document Everything
Photos. Videos. Written notes, and timeline. These became invaluable. From timestamps of when the leak was discovered to the sequence and number of trades entering the home, detailed documentation helped navigate ongoing insurance discussions—who’s liable, what’s covered, and what’s not.
6. Understand the Insurance Landscape
Here’s where things can get tricky:
- The landlord may hope the damage would be covered under the tenant’s renter’s insurance and be due to the renter’s negligence. This might explain why they didn’t want to use R&B.
- The tenant will usually expect that the landlord’s property insurance would be responsible for everything.
- In this case, the restoration company strongly encouraged both the landlord and tenant to file claims.
The key takeaway? If you’re a renter, understand what your policy covers—especially regarding water damage, and the choice you have of whether or not to make a claim. If you’re a landlord with tenants, communicate clearly with tenants about insurance responsibilities. And if you’re an owner occupier, be aware of your deductible threshold. Different flooding issues will often have different deductibles. This is again where clear documentation can make the difference.
7. Prevention
What if there was a water detection system involved? The Flo by Moen will send an alert to your phone and shut off your incoming water if abnormal or over consumption of water is detected.
What if the homeowner had preemptively augured the drain? As the senior drain cleaning technician pulled bits of fluff and fibers off his auger head with a screwdriver that first day, he commented that homeowners often don’t do regular line clearing as maintenance, but to prevent these types of backups, they should.
Final Thoughts
Our employee’s experience underscores just how disruptive a plumbing emergency can be—especially when you’re on the receiving end, not the repair end. But it also offers valuable insight into how early actions and preparation can make a difference.
Whether you’re a homeowner or a tenant, understanding your space, acting quickly, and documenting thoroughly can protect your property, save you time, and possibly even reduce the bill.
And of course, when you’re ready to bring in the professionals, make sure you’re calling a plumbing company with the tools and knowledge to get the job done right.
Stay dry, stay prepared, and remember—R & B Plumbing and Heating is always ready to help when water won’t wait.
