The honest version
We're a 24/7 plumber. We have an obvious financial incentive to tell you that everything is an emergency and we should drive over right now. We don't, because the after-hours rate genuinely costs more, and we'd rather you call us during business hours when it's cheaper if your situation can wait.
Here's our honest cheat-sheet for six common plumbing problems we see in Surrey, Langley, Vancouver, and the rest of the Lower Mainland.
1. Burst pipe with active flooding
Call now. Every minute compounds the damage. Shut off your main water valve, then call. We'll dispatch immediately.
2. Sewer backup into a basement
Call now. Stop using fixtures upstairs (every flush, every load of laundry adds to what's backing up). Sewage damage is also a health hazard and an insurance claim — we want to be on-site fast.
3. No hot water at 9pm
Usually wait until morning unless it's an actual emergency (newborn baby, medical reason, etc.). Pilot lights go out, thermocouples fail, breakers trip. Most of these are simple fixes we can handle at the regular rate at 8am. The after-hours rate is meaningfully higher — we'll always tell you the exact rate before we dispatch.
Exception: if your water heater is leaking water from the bottom or pressure-relief valve, that's an emergency — call. The tank is failing and the longer it sits the more damage.
4. One slow drain
Wait until morning, almost always. A single slow drain is a clogged trap or branch line. It's annoying, but it's not getting worse overnight. We can come out at 8am and clear it for the regular rate.
Multiple slow drains at once is different — that's a mainline issue and worth calling about even at night, especially if you have only one bathroom.
5. Toilet overflowing or running constantly
Shut off the toilet's local valve (small chrome valve on the supply line behind the toilet) to stop the immediate problem. Then wait until morning. A constantly running toilet wastes water but won't flood your house. A clogged toilet you can wait on if you have another bathroom.
6. Gas smell near a fixture
Call now. Don't wait. Don't operate any electrical switches. Get out of the house, call from outside. We'll dispatch immediately and notify FortisBC if needed. Gas is the one situation where the after-hours rate is irrelevant.
How to make the call
(604) 870-1442 is answered live 24/7. Tell us what's happening and we'll be straight with you about whether you need us tonight or whether it can wait until 8am at a lower rate. We'd rather earn your trust now and your call again next time than over-bill an emergency that wasn't one.