Before anything happens
- Find and label the main water shut-off.
- Test that it closes fully.
- Locate the small stops below each basin and at the wall behind each toilet.
- Know where the electrical panel is and which breakers serve the basement.
- Know where the gas meter shut-off is, but leave operating it to the gas utility unless instructed.
- Keep a flashlight, bucket, towels and a wet-dry vacuum handy.
- Save our number and your insurer's claims line in your phone.
Burst or leaking pipe
- Shut the main.
- Where water has reached outlets or appliances, kill those breakers.
- Open a low faucet to drain pressure.
- Move belongings out of the water's path.
- Photograph the damage.
- Call.
Sewage backup
- Stop running every tap, toilet and appliance.
- Keep children and pets away.
- Avoid contact with the water.
- Call a plumber, and check whether neighbours are affected.
Field note. If you smell gas, get everyone out of the house first. Call Enbridge's emergency line from outside, and do not use switches on your way out.
No water
Check whether neighbours have water. If not, it is likely a municipal issue. If they do, check your main valve, look for frozen pipes in cold weather, and on a well, look at the pump breaker and read the tank gauge.
Water heater leaking
Shut the cold inlet valve above the heater. For gas, turn the control to off; for electric, switch off the breaker. If it is safe, run a garden hose from the tank's drain cock to the floor drain.