If your water heater is flooding, hissing, scalding or smells of gas, act first and call second. Close the cold supply line feeding the heater, kill the power at the breaker or switch the gas control off, and get people and pets clear. Then ask for help. Faults that can wait are handled on our broader water heater repair and replacing guide. For a real emergency, keep reading.
What should I do first when my water heater is leaking or flooding?
Water first, then energy. Close the cold shutoff valve on the pipe over the heater by turning its handle crosswise to the pipe, or use the house main if that valve is stuck. Next, switch off the breaker if the unit is electric, or set the control to off if it burns gas.
Never stand in water beside the heater while the power is still on. When the floor around an electric tank is wet and the breaker panel shares that damp space, keep out and phone a plumber, plus an electrician if the panel itself is wet.
Empty what you can. Hook a garden hose to the tank's drain valve near the floor and lead it outside. Mop before water reaches carpet or drywall, because damage spreads fast. A leak from a fitting above the tank may stop once the shutoff is closed. A leak through the tank body means the heater is done and must be replaced. Fixing a leaking water heater is covered step by step in our guide.
When is a water heater an emergency, and when can it wait?
These count as emergencies: water spreading out of the tank, water close to electrical equipment, a gas smell, a relief valve that keeps spitting hot water, scalding water at the taps, or rumbling and steam from the unit. Lukewarm water or a cold shower belongs to another category. It is a nuisance, rarely an emergency, and a scheduled visit can handle it.
Does a lack of hot water qualify? Alone, usually not, unless a baby, an elderly person or a medical condition needs warm water. It turns urgent alongside a leak or gas smell. Tenants should also know that California counts hot water as part of a habitable rental, so landlords are expected to repair a dead heater promptly. If a whole building lost hot water, read our page on hot water out across an apartment building.
Plenty of failures that feel dramatic on a Sunday night end up being a tripped breaker or a pilot that blew out. Our list of causes, why you might have no hot water, takes around five minutes to check.
What if I smell gas near my water heater?
Get out immediately, and skip the light switches and any phone use indoors. From the yard or street, dial 1-800-427-2200 for SoCalGas, and 911 if you hear hissing, sense danger or anyone feels unwell. Do not relight a pilot or search for the leak. Wait until the gas company or fire crew declares the house safe.
The odor near a heater may trace to a failing control valve, a loose flex line connection, or a blocked vent that lets exhaust spill into the room. Soot on the tank, a scorched draft hood or flames rolling out of the burner area are further warnings. Each of these needs a contractor who holds a California contractor license, and once the utility clears the site, the repair still needs a gas leak test.
Under California law, gas piping and permitted replacements belong to a contractor holding a state contractor license, not a handyman or a homeowner with a wrench. Need a new gas valve? See gas valve replacement on a water heater.
Why is my water heater relief valve dripping or blowing hot water?
The temperature and pressure relief valve works as a safety release. When the tank overheats or pressure climbs too far, it opens and sends water down a discharge pipe. A slow drip may mean the valve is worn out, or that house pressure runs high for lack of an expansion tank or a working regulator. A continuous gush of hot water signals an overheating tank. Cut the power or gas, then phone for help.
Never cap or plug that valve. Per Wikipedia's overview, most plumbing codes call for a discharge pipe to carry the water to a drain or outside, sloping downhill with no valve in it. Spot steam? Cut the energy source and stay back until things cool.
A failed relief valve is a modest fix, often quicker than other repairs, and our page on pressure relief valve replacement outlines the work. A tank that overheats because a thermostat or gas control stuck open needs repair before the heater runs again.
Do plumbers offer 24 hour water heater repair near Burbank?
Some do, while others keep regular hours plus an emergency line. We make no promise on arrival time, since it hinges on which plumber is free and how far away. What we do is line up a local plumber and relay your description so the right parts come along. Night and weekend work often brings a higher call-out fee, so ask about it first.
On the call, describe what you see: leaking or not, fuel type, tank or tankless, the age and capacity from the label, and whether the water is already off. A photo of the data plate helps the plumber pack the matching valve, element or replacement unit. Our quote page accepts those details around the clock.
More of what we arrange across the Valley is on the Lankershim Plumbing home page. During an active flood, shutoff comes first and the phone second. Thirty seconds at the valve does what no plumber can do from across town.
How much does emergency water heater repair cost?
Plan on an after-hours call-out charge on top of the repair or replacement. As a guide, small repairs run roughly $150 to $600, and an emergency swap of a standard tank often lands between $1,600 and $4,000 installed, with the call-out surcharge added. Tankless units cost more and are seldom stocked for same-day swaps.
An emergency does not pause the permit rules. A replacement normally still needs a permit and inspection, handled by the Burbank building division or, in Los Angeles city neighborhoods, LADBS, and the new heater has to be braced for earthquakes. Ask the plumber how the permit gets handled.
Have the price on paper before work begins. For home improvement jobs, the down payment in California cannot go above $1,000 or a tenth of the contract price, whichever is smaller, and the state licensing board urges you to verify the contractor's license. Our water heater replacement cost guide shows what a quote should contain.
Questions people ask
Does missing hot water count as urgent?
In most homes, cold water at the hot tap alone is pressing but not an emergency, and a fix within a day or two is reasonable. Flooding, a gas smell or an overheating tank changes that. Renters in California can point out that hot water is a basic habitability item, so ask the landlord to move fast and make the request in writing.
Can I keep using the shower if the water heater is leaking?
No. First close the cold supply to the heater and cut the power or gas. A leaking tank can give way suddenly and dump gallons. If the drip comes from a fitting and not the tank body, closing the supply may halt it, and a plumber can mend the connection. Never run the heater empty, as a dry electric element burns out.
What should I tell the plumber when I call?
State the address, the fuel, tank or tankless, a rough age, the capacity printed on the label, and what exactly is going on: leaking, hissing, no heat, a smell or a tripped breaker. Mention if the water and power are already off. Photos of the label and the leak are useful.
Will a plumber replace my water heater the same day?
It can, when a standard tank in your size is in stock and access is easy. Tankless units, unusual sizes or jobs needing a new vent or gas line make same-day work less likely. Ask what the plumber carries on the truck. The permit and inspection follow the swap either way.
Is it safe to relight a pilot light myself?
With no gas odor and instructions on the manufacturer's label, many owners do relight a pilot. If you do smell gas, exit and phone 1-800-427-2200 for SoCalGas from the street. A pilot that keeps dying points to a bad thermocouple, gas valve or draft, and that is plumber territory.
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