--- title: "Plumbing Emergency in Des Moines? The First 5 Minutes Matter Most" description: "What to do in the first 5 minutes of a plumbing emergency — shut-off locations, what to photograph, what to tell us when you call. Save this page." url: https://des-moines-plumbing-hvac.b-daniels.workers.dev/blog/emergency-plumber-first-5-minutes/ published: 2026-04-20 author: Nate category: Emergency --- # Plumbing Emergency in Des Moines? The First 5 Minutes Matter Most By Nate, Lead Technician, Des Moines Plumbing & HVAC · Published April 20, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026 **Quick answer:** In a plumbing emergency, shut off the water first — at the fixture valve or the main shutoff, usually on the front basement wall by the meter. Then turn off the water heater, photograph the damage, move valuables off the floor and call (515) 494-5483, answered 24/7. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 or the gas utility from outside before anything else. Most of the calls we get aren't really emergencies. They're inconveniences. A dripping faucet, a slow drain, a hot water tank that's been making noise for a week. We can handle those. The real emergencies — burst pipes, sewage backups, gas leaks, water heater eruptions — the difference between $400 in damage and $14,000 in damage is what you do in the first 5 minutes. Bookmark this page or screenshot it now so you have it when you need it. ## Step 1: Shut Off the Water This is the single most important thing. Every minute of pressurized water spraying into a wall, ceiling, or basement is more damage. **Where the main shutoff lives in typical Des Moines homes:** - **Basement homes (most older Des Moines neighborhoods — Beaverdale, Drake, Sherman Hill, the East Side):** Look for the main shutoff valve on the front foundation wall, usually right where the water meter sits. It's a quarter-turn ball valve (a lever handle) on newer setups, a round wheel handle on older galvanized installations. Turn the lever 90 degrees, or the wheel clockwise until it stops. - **Crawlspace homes (parts of the South Side, older West Des Moines):** Sometimes the shutoff is inside the crawl. Sometimes it's on an exterior wall just inside where the line enters. If your crawl access isn't friendly, find the curb stop outside (covered by a small metal plate, usually near the property line by the sidewalk) — you can shut off the whole house from there with a curb key. - **Slab homes (Ankeny, Waukee, Bondurant, newer Urbandale):** The main shutoff is usually in a utility closet, garage wall, or laundry room. Look for a copper line coming out of the slab with a ball valve on it. If you can't find it, shut off at the meter outside. **Test your shutoff valve right now, when nothing's wrong.** Some main valves haven't been touched in 30 years and won't budge when you need them. If yours sticks, call us and we'll replace it before it matters. If the leak is at a specific fixture (toilet, sink, washing machine), look for the local shutoff first — it's faster. Toilet valves are behind the bowl. Sink valves are under the sink. Washing machine valves are behind the machine, hot and cold. ## Step 2: Shut Off the Water Heater If hot water is spraying — or if the tank itself is what's leaking — you need to kill the heat source so it doesn't fire on an empty tank and melt itself. **Gas water heaters:** - Turn the gas control valve to "OFF" (the dial on the side of the unit). - If the unit has a separate gas shutoff (a yellow valve on the gas line a few inches from the unit), close it too. **Electric water heaters:** - Go to the breaker panel. The water heater breaker is usually a double-pole 30-amp marked "Water Heater" or "WH." - Flip it OFF. ## Step 3: Document With Photos Take pictures BEFORE you start cleaning. This matters for two reasons: 1. **Insurance.** Your homeowner's policy probably covers water damage but not the failed appliance itself. Photos prove the source and the extent. 2. **Our reference.** Describing what you see — or showing the tech your photos when they arrive — helps us bring the right parts on the first trip. We've shown up to "a leaking water heater" calls before and discovered an active sewer backup. Different truck. Different parts. Photo everything: the source, the surrounding damage, the floor, any contents that got wet, the shutoff valves you closed. ## Step 4: Move Valuables Off the Floor Anything porous — wood furniture, cardboard boxes, rugs, electronics — gets up off the floor. Books, photos, anything irreplaceable to a higher floor or a dry counter. If you have time and the leak is contained, lay towels around the perimeter. Don't try to mop a flowing leak — you'll just frustrate yourself. Containment is the goal, not dryness. ## Step 5: Call Us (515) 494-5483. 24/7. Real humans, not a call center. (More on what we handle around the clock on our [24/7 emergency service](https://des-moines-plumbing-hvac.b-daniels.workers.dev/services/emergency/) page.) **What to tell dispatch:** 1. **Your address.** And the cross street if you're outside the metro core. Helps us route the closest tech. 2. **What happened.** "Water heater is leaking from the bottom of the tank." "Pipe under the kitchen sink is shooting water." "I can hear water running in a wall but I don't see it." 3. **What you've already shut off.** Main, fixture valve, water heater, breaker — tell us. Saves time when we arrive. 4. **Whether anything is electrical.** Standing water near outlets, breakers tripped, lights flickering. 5. **Whether there's anyone with mobility needs in the house** so we know how to plan our entry and protect the path. We'll give you an ETA on the call. ## SPECIAL CASE: If You Smell Gas This is the one section where you do NOT shut anything off, you do NOT investigate, you do NOT call us first. **The order:** 1. **Leave the house immediately.** Take your phone. Take the kids. Take the dog. Walk out the front door. 2. **Do NOT touch anything electrical.** No light switches. No garage door opener. No phone calls from inside the house. 3. **From outside or a neighbor's house, call 911 or your gas utility's emergency line.** For most of the metro that's MidAmerican Energy — the gas emergency number is printed on your bill. They'll dispatch. 4. **Then call us at (515) 494-5483.** After the utility secures the supply, we can come repair the leak source. Natural gas smells like rotten eggs (mercaptan is added on purpose so you can smell leaks). If you smell it strongly, especially in a basement, do not second-guess it. Walk out. Even a small spark from a thermostat clicking on can ignite a gas-filled basement. ## What We Can Fix at 2 AM vs What Waits **We can solve at 2 AM:** - Stop the leak (cap off, valve, repair clamp, replace section of pipe) - Restore water service to the rest of the house if possible - Drain remaining tank water - Stop the bleeding so you can go back to sleep **What waits until morning (usually a good thing):** - Replacing a [water heater](https://des-moines-plumbing-hvac.b-daniels.workers.dev/services/water-heater/) (we can't lift a tank into your basement quietly at 3 AM) - Sewer line excavation - Major remodeling work - Anything that requires a city permit and inspection The goal of an emergency call is to stop the damage and stabilize. The real fix often happens the next business day, by appointment, with a clean truck and a full crew. Either way, you're paying us once. Save this number: (515) 494-5483. Call any time. We answer. ## Frequently asked questions ### How fast can you get to my house? For most metro addresses we're on site in 60–90 minutes, day or night. We dispatch the closest available tech, not a call center across the country. Burst pipes and gas leaks get top priority. ### What does after-hours service cost? After-hours emergency calls carry a $75–$125 dispatch premium on top of our standard pricing. No tripled overnight rates, and we quote the repair before we start work. ### What if I smell gas? Leave the house immediately. Do NOT flip switches, do NOT open garage doors with the opener, do NOT light anything. From outside or a neighbor's house, call 911 or your gas utility's emergency line first. Then call us at (515) 494-5483. **Des Moines Plumbing & HVAC** · (515) 494-5483 (24/7 emergency; standard hours Mon–Sat 7am–7pm) · Polk County & Central Iowa