Home Emergencies: What to Do First (and How to Prevent Them)
Burst pipe, no heat, electrical smell, gas odor — here's what to do first in a home emergency, and the maintenance that prevents most of them from happening at all.
In a home emergency, the first few minutes matter most — and the homeowners who handle them well are the ones who prepared before anything went wrong. Here's what to do first for the most common emergencies, and the maintenance that prevents most of them.
The single best emergency preparation is knowing where your shutoffs are — water, gas, and electrical — and testing that they work, today, while nothing is wrong.
Burst or leaking pipe
- Shut off the water. For a localized leak, close the fixture's valve. For a major burst, go straight to the main water shutoff.
- Cut power to affected areas if water is near outlets or the panel.
- Remove water quickly to limit damage, and call a plumber.
Prevention: Replace old supply lines, insulate pipes against freezing, and glance under sinks regularly. See plumbing.
No heat in winter
- Check the obvious — thermostat settings, the furnace switch, a tripped breaker, and the filter (a badly clogged filter can shut a system down).
- Protect against frozen pipes while you wait — keep faucets dripping and cabinets open.
- Call for service if it won't restart.
Prevention: An annual HVAC tune-up before winter prevents most cold-snap failures.
Electrical problem
- A burning smell or hot outlet: cut power to that circuit at the panel and stop using it.
- Repeated tripping is the system warning you — don't just keep resetting; call an electrician.
Prevention: GFCI and AFCI protection and not overloading circuits prevent most electrical emergencies. See electrical.
Suspected gas leak
- If you smell gas, leave immediately — don't flip switches or create sparks.
- From outside, shut off the gas if you can do so safely, and call your gas utility and emergency services.
Gas emergencies are the one case where you evacuate first and troubleshoot never. Treat every gas smell as real.
Water heater failure
- A leaking tank: shut off its water supply and, for electric units, the breaker; for gas, the gas valve.
- Drain and call for replacement.
Prevention: Flushing the water heater annually and watching for corrosion prevents sudden failures.
The pattern: preparation beats reaction
Every emergency above is faster to handle — and far less likely to happen — when the systems are maintained and you know your shutoffs. Emergencies feel random, but most are maintained-away or contained by thirty seconds of prior knowledge.
Build your free Owner Tools to keep your home's shutoffs and prevention tasks in one place — no login or address required. Then read expensive mistakes to avoid.