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Water in Basement Langley | What to Do First

Water in basement Langley? Stay safe, find the source, limit the damage and know who to call: a plumber, the Township, the City or your insurer. Open 24/7.

EMERGENCY PLUMBING

Plumblink Crew

10/24/20265 min read

Water spreading across a basement floor around a sump pit in a Langley home

Water in Your Basement? What to Do First in Langley

Finding water on the basement floor is bad at any time, and worse at 2 a.m. in the middle of a Langley rainstorm. The first few minutes matter most: keep yourself safe, stop the water if you can, and work out where it's coming from.

Here's the order we'd go in, and who to call for each kind of problem.

Step 1: Stay safe before you step in

Keep away from water near power. If water is touching outlets, power bars, extension cords or anything plugged in, stay out of it. BC Hydro advises against entering a flooded basement that may have live wires or appliances, and says to switch off the main breaker only if you can do it from a dry spot.
Leave wet gas and electrical equipment off. If your furnace, hot water tank or dryer has been sitting in water, don't restart it. Technical Safety BC says equipment that's been in floodwater should stay off until a licensed gas or electrical contractor has checked it.
Smell gas? Leave the house and call FortisBC or 911 from outside. Our gas smell guide covers what to do next.

Step 2: Work out where the water is coming from

The fix depends on the source. These are the four we see most in Langley basements.

Groundwater through the walls or floor

This shows up during or after heavy rain. Water seeps in along the bottom of the walls, through the joint where the floor meets the wall, or rises out of the sump pit. It usually means the sump pump has stopped or can't keep up, or the perimeter drains around the foundation are blocked. See our sump pump repair and perimeter drain cleaning pages.

Sewage backing up through a floor drain or toilet

Dirty, smelly water coming up through the lowest drain in the house is a sewer backup. Stop using water straight away: no flushing, laundry, showers or dishwasher, because every drop goes to the same blocked line. A clog on your side of the property line is a job for a plumber (drain cleaning or sewer line repair). A backup from the main under the road is the Township's or City's to fix.

Clean water from a pipe, hose or fixture

A steady flow of clean water usually means a burst or leaking supply line, a split washing machine hose or a failed fitting. Shut off your main water valve, which is usually where the water line comes through the front wall of the basement. If you can't find the source, our leak detection service can track it down without opening more wall than needed. Winter bursts have their own causes, covered in our frozen pipes guide.

A leaking hot water tank

Water pooling around the base of the tank often means the tank itself has failed. Close the cold water valve on top of the tank, then turn the gas control to off, or switch off the breaker for an electric tank. A tank that leaks from the bottom can't be repaired, only replaced. If yours is getting old, our post on hot water tank lifespan explains the warning signs.

Step 3: Stop the water and limit the damage

Shut off the main water valve if the water is coming from a pipe or fixture.
If the sump pump has stopped and you can reach it from a dry spot, check its breaker and whether the float is stuck against the side of the pit.
Move boxes, rugs and valuables off the floor, but only if you can do it without standing in water near power.
Take photos and video of the water and the damage before you clean anything up. Your insurer will want them.
Start drying out as soon as it's safe: pull up wet rugs, run fans and a dehumidifier, and open the space up. Wet drywall and carpet can start to grow mould within a few days.

Step 4: Know who to call

A plumbing failure inside your property (sump pump, pipe, hot water tank or drain): call Plumblink at (236) 233-9696, any hour. See our 24/7 emergency plumbing page.
Township of Langley side (sewer backing up from the main, flooding from a street drain or ditch): Township Operations Centre at 604-532-7300, or 604-543-6722 after hours.
City of Langley side: City Operations Centre at 604-514-2910, or 604-543-6722 after hours.
Electrical damage: a licensed electrician. They'll arrange reconnection with BC Hydro if your power was cut.
Your insurer: as soon as you can, with your photos ready.

Will insurance cover it?

It depends on where the water came from and what's on your policy. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, damage from a sewer backup is only covered if you've bought optional sewer backup coverage, and overland flood coverage is also optional and may not be available in high-risk areas. Coverage varies by insurer, so check your policy wording and keep every receipt for cleanup and repairs.

If your home has grey Poly-B piping, it can also affect your coverage. Our post on Poly-B and home insurance explains why.

How to keep it from happening again

Test your sump pump every fall. Pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it starts, empties the pit and shuts off. A battery backup and a high-water alarm cover you when the power goes out.
Keep your perimeter drains clear. Silt and roots slowly block them until the pump can't keep up.
Fix slow drains early. A drain that gurgles or backs up a little is often a warning before a full backup. Our post on why drains keep clogging explains the common causes.
Know where your main shut-off is before you need it, and make sure everyone in the house can find it.
Replace an old hot water tank before it fails, not after.

Water in your basement right now?

Plumblink is open 24 hours. Call (236) 233-9696 and we'll help you find the source and stop it. Emergency calls are billed at our after-hours rate, and we charge a straightforward first-hour rate with no surprise fees. For planned work like a new sump pump or drain cleaning, request a quote.