Practical advice from the dispatch deskYour First Hour After a Leak or Flood
The steps you take before the crew pulls up can save a floor, a wall, or an entire room. None of it takes the place of professional drying, but it does buy you time.
Start by stopping the water. Find the main shutoff and turn it clockwise until it stops. In older houses near downtown Hawaiian Beaches it tends to sit in the basement along the front wall where the street line enters. In newer subdivisions, check the garage, a utility closet, or the area by the water heater. If you live in a condo or apartment, the shutoff for your unit may be under a sink or behind an access panel, and building maintenance can shut the riser if needed.
Make the space safe. If water is near outlets, power strips or the electrical panel, do not walk through it to reach the breaker. Call the utility or wait for the crew. Watch the ceiling. Drywall that bulges or sags is holding water and can come down without warning, so keep people and pets out from under it.
Photograph it all before anything moves. Take wide photos of each room, then close-ups of the source, the waterline on walls, and damaged belongings. A short video walking through the house with the date on screen is even better. Your adjuster will thank you.
Start air moving, carefully. If the power is safe and the water is clean, open interior doors and run a few household fans to keep air moving across wet surfaces. Keep windows shut on hot, muggy days, since outside air will add more moisture than it takes away. In winter, keep the heat on so pipes do not freeze again and materials keep giving up water.
Get belongings up off the floor. Move rugs, electronics, paperwork and anything with sentimental value to a dry room. Slide aluminum foil or plastic lids under furniture legs so stain and rust do not transfer into wet carpet. Leave heavy pieces and anything built in for the crew.
What to avoid: Do not run a household vacuum on wet floors, do not turn the HVAC on high hoping it will dry things out, and do not start tearing out drywall before it has been photographed and measured. If the water came from a toilet, a floor drain or outdoors, treat it as contaminated and keep your bare hands out of it.
Then make the call. The earlier extraction begins, the more of your home stays where it is instead of going out to the curb. If you are unsure about any of this, our dispatcher can walk you through it while the contractor is on the way.