Plumbing or HVAC Emergency? Do This Now — 24/7 Dispatch

First, stop the water. Then we're on the clock.

Every minute of flowing water costs more than the repair. The shutoff steps below take two minutes — and dispatch will walk you through them on the phone while the nearest truck diverts to you.

Smell gas? Skip everything below — leave the house now, and call NW Natural's emergency line or 911 from outside. Then call us for the repair.

What to shut off, where it is

Whole-house water main

Where: Where the water line enters the house — crawlspace wall, garage, or the meter box at the street.

Turn the valve clockwise until it stops (a lever handle turns a quarter-turn until it sits across the pipe).
Open the lowest faucet in the house to drain pressure out of the lines.
If the only working shutoff is at the street meter, use a meter key or adjustable wrench — and mention it when you call, because that valve should be fixed.

One fixture only (toilet, sink, washer)

Where: Small oval or lever valve on the supply line — behind the toilet, under the sink, or in the washer box.

Turn clockwise until snug. Don't force a stuck valve — go shut the main instead.
For an overflowing toilet, lift the tank lid and push the flapper closed while the valve shuts.

Leaking water heater

Where: On top of the tank (cold-water valve) and the gas control or breaker.

Close the cold-water valve on the top of the tank.
Gas unit: turn the control dial to OFF. Electric: flip the water-heater breaker.
Don't drain the tank yourself — a hot 40-gallon tank is a scald risk. We do that on arrival.

Furnace or AC acting dangerously

Where: The service switch beside the furnace (looks like a light switch) or the HVAC breakers in your panel.

Burning smell, repeated hard starts, or a screeching motor: flip the service switch off and leave it off.
Ice on the AC lines: shut the system off at the thermostat so the coil can thaw before we arrive.

Gas smell — leave first

Where: Anywhere in the house.

Get everyone out now. Leave the door open behind you.
No switches, no phones, no flames until you're outside.
From outside, call NW Natural's 24-hour emergency line or 911 — then call us for the repair after the utility secures the scene.

Never hunt for a gas leak yourself, and never re-enter until the utility clears the house.

Can't find the valve?

Call anyway. Dispatch keeps shutoff walkthroughs for every common house layout in the metro — crawlspace, slab, meter-box — and stays on the line until the water stops or the truck arrives.

(503) 555-0161

60 minutes, or the dispatch fee is $0

Call before midnight with a priority-one emergency inside our service area and a Cascade truck is at your door within 60 minutes of dispatch — or your dispatch fee is $0. We track it on every ticket, and we publish the number: last quarter we hit the window on 97% of priority-one calls.

The clock starts when dispatch confirms your ticket — you'll get the exact deadline time by text.

Applies to priority-one emergencies (active water or sewage) inside the published zones, 6 a.m.–midnight.

Miss the window and the $79 fee comes off automatically. You don't have to ask.

The fine print, in plain English

How does the 60-minute guarantee actually work?

It applies to priority-one emergencies (active water or sewage you can't stop) inside our published service area, dispatched between 6 a.m. and midnight. The clock starts when dispatch confirms your ticket, and if the truck isn't at your door in 60 minutes, the $79 dispatch fee is $0 — automatically, without you asking. Between midnight and 6 a.m. we still roll immediately, but road realities mean the fee waiver is our goal rather than a guarantee.

When does the after-hours premium apply?

A flat $89 on emergency dispatches between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., and on weekends. It's the only after-hours difference — the flat-rate book prices themselves don't change at night, and scheduled next-morning visits never pay it.

Do you handle gas leaks?

We repair gas lines after the utility has made the scene safe. If you smell gas right now: leave the house, then call NW Natural's emergency line or 911 from outside. Repairs are our job; making a live leak safe is the utility's.