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Water Heater Emergency Shutdown

Leaking, hissing, or no idea what that noise is? Follow these steps to shut your water heater down safely — then call and we'll take it from there.

(877) 798-7487

Smell gas? Leave first.

If you smell rotten eggs or hear gas escaping, do not flip any switches or use anything with a flame. Get everyone (pets too) outside, then call 911 and your gas utility from a safe distance. Come back to these steps only once the area is declared safe.

Watch our team walk through each shutdown step.

  1. Turn off the gas (gas water heaters)

    Stop the fuel supply first so the burner cannot fire while the unit is in distress.

    • Turn the gas control knob on the front of the water heater to OFF.
    • Find the gas shutoff valve on the gas line near the bottom of the unit and turn the handle a quarter turn, so it sits crosswise (perpendicular) to the pipe.
    • Tankless unit? Turn the unit off at its controller, then close the gas valve on the supply line the same way.

  2. Turn off the power (electric water heaters)

    Electric units must be de-energized at the panel — never work on a live unit.

    • Open your home's electrical panel and switch the breaker labeled for the water heater to OFF.
    • If the breaker isn't labeled, switching off the main breaker is the safe fallback until help arrives.

  3. Turn off the water

    Stop cold water from feeding the tank so a leak can't keep flooding.

    • Find the cold water shutoff valve on the pipe entering the top of the water heater and turn it clockwise until it stops (lever valves: quarter turn crosswise to the pipe).
    • If that valve is stuck or you can't reach it, close your home's main water shutoff instead.
    • Open a nearby hot water faucet for a minute to relieve pressure in the lines.

  4. Contain and call

    With gas, power, and water off, the situation is stable — now protect your home.

    • Put towels or a shallow pan around the base and move belongings away from the water.
    • Call us at (877) 798-7487 — a live person answers 24/7, and if you call by 2 PM we can usually replace a standard tank the same day.

Shut down and still stressed?

You've done the hard part. A live person answers our phones 24 hours a day — call and we'll walk you through the rest, then get a specialist out fast.

(877) 798-7487

24/7 live answer · Same-day install when you call by 2 PM