Emergency line
A plumber answers, at any hour
One number, (320) 555-0100. Who picks up depends on the hour, and we say so plainly.
Weekdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Astrid
She owns the firm. She picks up, asks where the water is and sends the nearest van.
Nights and weekends: the on-call plumber
One of the five plumbers, on a weekly rotation, answers the same number and drives the night van. They give the night rate on the phone before the van leaves.
When two calls come at once
In a thaw we take active water first: a running pipe before a frozen one, a frozen main before a frozen fixture. We tell you where you are in line, and why.
While you wait
Five things to do before the van arrives
None of these needs a tool. All of them cut the damage.
Shut the main water valve, or the one nearest the leak.
Open the lowest cold tap in the house to drain the pipes.
Turn the water heater off at its breaker, or its gas control to pilot or off.
Photograph the wet, the pipe and the valve, and text it to us.
Smell gas? Leave the house and call the gas utility from outside. This line is for water.
The night rate
Do nights cost more? Yes.
Evenings after 5, weekends and holidays are billed at a higher rate than the day rate. The on-call plumber tells you the rate on the phone before the van leaves the yard.
You can say no, shut the water off and call again in the morning. If you say yes, you get the same written estimate before anything is cut, and the same terms as a day call.
Call the emergency line
Day or night, a plumber answers.