5 Signs You Need Emergency Plumbing in Lubbock

1. Burst or Severely Leaking Pipes

The Situation: Water is actively spraying, gushing, or flooding from a pipe, fixture, or appliance. This isn't a slow drip under the sink—this is water pouring into your home at a rate that could fill a bathtub in minutes.

Why It's an Emergency: A single burst pipe can discharge hundreds of gallons of water per hour, causing devastating damage to floors, walls, ceilings, furniture, and electrical systems. In Lubbock's hard water environment, older galvanized pipes are particularly vulnerable to corrosion and sudden failure. Water damage compounds exponentially with time—what starts as wet carpet can quickly become ruined subflooring, mold growth, and structural damage.

Common Causes in Lubbock: Frozen pipes that burst when temperatures drop (especially in attics, crawl spaces, and exterior walls), corroded galvanized pipes in older homes, water hammer from high pressure, and failed washing machine hoses.

2. Sewage Backup or Multiple Drain Clogs

The Situation: Raw sewage is backing up into your toilets, showers, or floor drains. Or multiple drains throughout your home are clogged simultaneously—when you flush the toilet, sewage bubbles up in the shower; when you run the washing machine, the kitchen sink overflows.

Why It's an Emergency: Sewage contains dangerous bacteria, viruses, and pathogens that pose serious health risks to your family and pets. Exposure can cause severe illness. Additionally, sewage backup indicates a main sewer line blockage or failure, which will only worsen and can cause extensive contamination throughout your home. In Lubbock's clay soil, tree roots frequently invade sewer lines, creating blockages that can cause sudden, catastrophic backups.

Immediate Actions: Stop using all water in your home (toilets, sinks, showers, washing machine, dishwasher). Do not attempt to snake the drain yourself—you could damage pipes or worsen the blockage. Call for emergency plumbing service immediately. If sewage has entered living spaces, evacuate the area and contact your insurance company.

3. No Water Throughout the House

The Situation: You turn on faucets throughout your home and nothing comes out—no water at all, or only a weak trickle. You've confirmed that your neighbors have water and your water bill is paid.

Why It's an Emergency: Complete water loss indicates a serious problem with your main water line—either a break, severe blockage, or frozen section. Without water, you can't flush toilets, wash hands, cook, or maintain basic sanitation. If the cause is a frozen pipe, the situation is time-critical: frozen pipes can burst as they thaw, causing massive flooding. In Lubbock's winter cold snaps, we see dozens of frozen pipe emergencies when temperatures drop below 20°F.

Immediate Actions: Check if neighbors have water to rule out a municipal issue. If it's isolated to your home, call for emergency service immediately. If you suspect frozen pipes, do not attempt to thaw them with open flames or high heat—this can cause pipes to burst or start fires. Leave cabinet doors open under sinks to allow warm air circulation, but let professionals handle the thawing process.

Prevention Tip: During Lubbock's winter freezes, let faucets drip slightly overnight, keep cabinet doors open, and maintain heat above 55°F even when away. Insulate exposed pipes in attics, crawl spaces, and exterior walls.

4. Gas Smell Near Water Heater or Gas Lines

The Situation: You smell natural gas (a distinctive "rotten egg" odor added for safety) near your water heater, gas lines, or anywhere in your home. Or you hear a hissing sound near gas appliances.

Why It's an Emergency: Natural gas leaks are life-threatening. Gas is highly explosive—a single spark from a light switch, appliance, or even static electricity can trigger a catastrophic explosion. Gas leaks also cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal. This is not a situation to investigate yourself or wait until morning. This is a call-911-and-evacuate-immediately emergency.

After the Emergency: Once the gas company has secured the leak and cleared your home for re-entry, call Cotton City Plumbing to repair the gas line or water heater issue. We're licensed for gas line work and can ensure your system is safe before restoring service.

5. Water Heater Failure with Active Leaking

The Situation: Your water heater is actively leaking water—not condensation or a few drops, but steady water pooling around the base or streaming from the tank or connections. You may also hear loud banging, popping, or hissing sounds.

Why It's an Emergency: A leaking water heater can discharge 40-80 gallons of water into your home, causing significant flood damage to floors, walls, and belongings. Worse, if the temperature and pressure relief valve has failed, the tank could rupture catastrophically, releasing scalding water and potentially causing an explosion. Strange noises often indicate sediment buildup (common in Lubbock's hard water) causing the tank to overheat and weaken.

Immediate Actions: Turn off the water supply to the water heater (look for a valve on the cold water pipe entering the top of the tank). For gas water heaters, turn the gas control valve to "OFF" or "PILOT." For electric water heaters, shut off power at the circuit breaker. Place towels or a wet-dry vacuum around the leak to minimize damage. Call for emergency service—a leaking tank cannot be repaired and must be replaced.

Lubbock-Specific Concern: Lubbock's hard water accelerates sediment buildup in tank water heaters, reducing their lifespan and increasing the risk of sudden failure. Regular maintenance (annual flushing and anode rod inspection) can prevent many emergency failures.

What's NOT a Plumbing Emergency?

While these situations require prompt attention, they can typically wait for regular business hours:

• •Slow drains in a single fixture (unless multiple drains are affected)
• •Dripping faucets (annoying but not destructive)
• •Running toilets (wasteful but not immediately damaging)
• •Low water pressure in one fixture
• •Water heater not producing hot water (if there's no leaking or gas smell)

That said, if any of these issues worsen or you're unsure, it's always better to call and ask. We'd rather assess a non-emergency than have you wait and discover it was critical.