Emergency water heater repair in Des Plaines, IL begins with safety. If you smell gas, leave and call Nicor Gas from outside. If water is spreading, close the cold-water valve on top of the heater and turn off the gas or breaker. If the Des Plaines River or a storm has flooded the basement, do not touch the heater's controls until the water is gone and it has been inspected.
Gas or carbon monoxide
Leave, then call Nicor Gas from outside. Carbon monoxide alarm means 911.
Stopping a leak
Close the cold-water valve at the top of the heater. If it fails, shut the main near the meter. Turn off energy.
Water heater acting up? Talk it through by phone.
Call 000 000 0000River and storm flooding
If water is rising in the basement, stay away from electrical equipment standing in water. Do not relight a heater whose controls got wet. Our flooded basement guide has more.
Relief valve
A blowing relief valve means overheating or high pressure. Turn off energy, keep clear, let it cool. Never cap it. See our relief valve guide.
Garage heaters
If a garage heater leaks, move vehicles and stored items, then shut off water and energy.
Local connection
When the river rises along the Des Plaines River Trail, nearby basements can follow. Even families near Lake Park farther from the river should know their shutoffs.
Next steps
A fitting or valve means water heater repair in Des Plaines. A failed tank means water heater replacement in Des Plaines.
Before trouble starts
Walk to the water heater with everyone in the house and show them three things: the cold-water valve on top, the gas control knob or the breaker, and the main water shutoff. Tag each with a bright label. In many Des Plaines ranches the main sits near the front foundation wall; in split-levels it may be in the lower-level laundry or a utility closet.
After the leak stops
Take photos of the heater, its rating plate, and any damage. Note the time the leak was noticed. Remove wet items, run fans and a dehumidifier, and pull wet carpet pad. If drywall got wet at the bottom, it may need to be cut out to prevent mold.
Pressure and overheating
If the relief valve discharged, the cause needs to be found. A stuck thermostat, a failed gas control, or high water pressure can cause it. Check whether the house has a pressure-reducing valve, and whether an expansion tank is present and charged.
Power outages
Many Des Plaines homes lose power during summer storms. A standing-pilot gas heater may keep working; a power-vent or tankless unit will not. An electric heater will cool down. Do not try to run a power-vent heater without power.
Insurance and documentation
Insurers often ask for the heater's age, the cause of the leak, and the steps you took to limit damage. Photos and notes help.
Children and pets
Hot water from a failed relief valve or a ruptured tank can scald. Keep children and pets out of the area until the heater has cooled and the water has been cleaned up. Water spreading across a floor near outlets and cords is also an electrical hazard.
Living with a water heater in Des Plaines
Des Plaines sits along the Des Plaines River northwest of Chicago, just north of O'Hare, and it receives Lake Michigan water through the regional system. The river shapes the city: some neighborhoods near it have dealt with serious flooding in past decades, and many homes have sump pumps, overhead sewers, or raised mechanical equipment as a result. Housing is mostly postwar, including brick and frame ranches, raised ranches, split-levels, and Cape Cods, plus older homes near downtown and Metropolitan Square, and townhomes and condos near the Cumberland and downtown Metra stations. Water heaters live in basements, lower levels of raised ranches, and garage corners. Where homes have finished lower levels, a tank leak or a flooded burner compartment is a bigger deal. Downtown Des Plaines, Cumberland, the Golf Road and Oakton Street corridors, and the riverside neighborhoods each have a different mix of building age and mechanical layout.
The emergency order of steps in Des Plaines
- Gas odor ruled out first: leave, then call the gas utility from outside
- Cold supply valve closed above the heater, or the house main if it will not turn
- Gas control set to off or the breaker switched off before draining
- Leak source identified: relief valve, fitting, drain valve, or tank shell
- Relief valve left alone and uncapped; heater allowed to cool
- Floor drain kept clear and stored boxes moved off the basement floor
- Photos taken of the rating plate and any damage for later decisions
An emergency card for Des Plaines homes
Make a small emergency card for every Des Plaines home and tape it near the heater: where the cold shutoff is, where the house main is, which breaker feeds an electric tank, and how to turn a gas control to off. Add the gas utility's emergency number and a reminder to call from outside. Test once a year that the shutoff actually turns.
Des Plaines emergency water heater repair at a glance
- Where: emergency water heater repair for homes in Des Plaines, Illinois, about 30–40 minutes northwest of the Loop.
- Des Plaines places this emergency water heater repair page mentions: Lake Park and Lake Opeka and Des Plaines River Trail.
- Des Plaines permits for emergency water heater repair: ask the City of Des Plaines building department.
- Illinois code behind emergency water heater repair: IDPH plumbing program.
- Des Plaines utilities for emergency water heater repair: Nicor Gas gas and ComEd power at most addresses.
- Next town over for emergency water heater repair: Emergency water heater repair in Park Ridge.
Related
The metro page is emergency water heater repair in Chicago. See the Des Plaines overview, and emergency water heater repair in Park Ridge covers the city east.
