Urgent home repairs: what to do first

First, how we handle urgent requests

We are a small local handyman business, open Monday to Saturday, 8:30 AM to 7 PM, closed Sunday. Most texts are answered within the hour during those hours. We are not an around-the-clock emergency service, and we do not want you waiting on us when something needs action now.

The steps below stop most damage until a repair visit. If anyone is in danger, if you smell gas, or if there is fire or sparking, call 911 or your gas utility first.

Water where it should not be

1. Find the nearest shutoff: under the sink, behind the toilet, or at the water heater.
2. If that valve will not close or there is none, shut off the main water valve, often near the front hose bib or at the meter by the curb.
3. Turn off power to any outlets or appliances that are wet, at the breaker, if you can reach the panel without standing in water.
4. Move valuables and mop up. Fans help dry the area.
5. Take photos and text them with the address.

Knowing where your main shutoff is before you need it is the single best thing you can do. If your main valve is stuck or hard to find, see shutoff valve replacement and leak and burst pipe repair.

A toilet that will not stop running or is overflowing

Turn the small valve behind the toilet clockwise to stop water. If it overflows, lift the tank lid and push the flapper down, or lift the float up. Do not flush again until the clog is cleared.

A plunger with a flange clears most clogs. If water backs up into tubs or other drains at the same time, the main sewer line may be blocked; that is outside what we do. See toilet repair.

No hot water

Check whether the pilot light is out on a gas heater, or whether a breaker has tripped on an electric one. Follow the relight steps printed on the heater label only if you are comfortable doing so. If the tank is leaking from the bottom, turn off the cold water valve at the top of the tank and the gas or power. See water heater repair and replacement.

A door or window that will not lock

For a door that will not latch, try lifting or pushing the door while turning the deadbolt; often the strike is just out of line. A temporary bar or a chair under the knob holds it overnight. For a broken window, tape cardboard or plastic over the opening.

Text us photos of the lock and the door edge and we will bring the right parts. See lock replacement.

Breakers that keep tripping

If a breaker trips again after you reset it, unplug things on that circuit and try once more. If it still trips, leave it off. Repeated tripping, a burning smell, warm outlets or scorched plates are outside our scope; stop using that outlet. We handle like-for-like device swaps on healthy circuits only.

What to send us

Text a photo or a short video of the problem, the address, and the best time to reach you. Include what you have already done, such as shutting off the water. That lets us bring the right parts and gives you a realistic idea of timing.

Make a house card now

Take ten minutes this weekend to find and label the main water shutoff, the gas meter shutoff and the electrical panel. Photograph each one and keep the photos in your phone. Write the location of the main shutoff on a card taped inside a kitchen cabinet. When something goes wrong at night, nobody in the house has to search with a flashlight while water spreads.

Keep a small kit

A flashlight, a bucket, old towels, a plunger with a flange, a roll of duct tape, a pair of pliers and a water meter key handle most first steps. Store them together in the garage or under the kitchen sink.

After hours

If something happens on a Saturday night or a Sunday, stop the water, make it safe, and text us photos. We reply when we open.

Water heater leaks at night

A water heater leaking from the bottom will not fix itself. Turn off the cold supply at the top of the tank, turn the gas control to off or switch off the breaker, and put a towel ring or a pan around the base. Open a hot faucet nearby to relieve pressure.

Then text us photos of the label and the leak. If water is spreading toward carpet or drywall, a wet vac or towels buy time.

Insurance photos

If water damage might turn into an insurance claim, photograph everything before cleanup, including the source.