I get these calls every week in Manly and Freshwater

I'm Anthony, the bloke behind Northern Beaches Plumbing Pro — your local emergency plumber. My team and I cover Manly to Freshwater and everywhere in between. I'll never forget a Sunday night callout to Manly — the family was about to go to bed when water started pouring through a ceiling light fitting from a burst pipe in the roof cavity. The wife said, "We were about to go to sleep and heard water running." I had them shut the isolation valve at the main water shutoff straight away, then raced over to do an emergency repipe. We had it dried out and fixed before midnight.

Not every problem needs an after-hours call, but knowing the difference saves you thousands. Here's what I tell my customers.

Call me now if any of these are happening

You smell gas — that rotten egg smell is mercaptan added to natural gas. Don't flip any switches, don't use the doorbell. Get everyone out and call 000, then call me.
A pipe's burst and water's pooling — find your isolation valve at the water meter out front and turn it clockwise. Every second you wait adds to the damage.
Sewage is backing up indoors — stop using all taps and toilets. That's a blocked main line and I'll need my electric eel or high-pressure jetter to clear it.
There's no water at all — if your neighbours have water and you don't, you've got a break between the meter and the house. Could be undermining your foundation.
Water's near a power point — kill the power at the fuse box before you even look at the leak.

What can wait 'til morning

A dripping tap, a slow-draining sink, a running toilet, or a blocked drain — these are annoying but they won't flood your house. Turn the isolation valve behind the toilet if it's running, and give me a call during business hours. I'll come by, sort it out, and you'll pay the normal rate. No after-hours markup for something that could've waited.

The first 60 seconds are everything

I've seen a $300 job turn into a $5,000 insurance claim because someone didn't know where their main water shutoff was. Every adult in the house should know three things before anything happens:

Water mains tap — out front near the boundary in a green or black pit. Turn clockwise to close. Test it once so you know it works.
Electricity main switch — in the switchboard, usually in the garage or laundry. Flip the biggest switch to off.
Gas isolation valve — at the gas meter, quarter-turn the lever so it sits crossways to the pipe.

Find these tonight, not during a flood.

What I actually see on callouts across the Northern Beaches

After-hours calls across Mosman, Manly, Dee Why, Brookvale, and Frenchs Forest usually break down like this:

About 40% are burst flexible hoses under sinks — braided hoses that finally give out after 10+ years. Shut the water, swap the hose, done in under an hour.
Around 25% are blocked or overflowing sewer lines, especially in older suburbs with big trees. I'll run an electric eel or water jetter through it, then send a CCTV drain camera down to check.
Maybe 15% are hot water system failures — leaking tanks or gas ignition faults.
The rest are toilets, cisterns, and gas leaks. I never leave a gas leak for the next day.

What it'll cost you

After-hours callouts on the Northern Beaches run about $180–$250 attendance plus the actual fix. That might feel steep when the leak looks small, but a one-hour delay on a burst hose under the kitchen sink usually causes $2,000 in floor and cabinet damage. If I rock up and it's not urgent, I'll tell you straight up — and you'll only pay the normal-hours rate.

I keep my pricing upfront. If I say I'll be there at 8pm, I'm there at 8pm. No surprises.

Not sure? Give me a call

I'd rather you call me and I talk you through it over the phone than you sit there wondering while water runs through your ceiling. That's free advice, no strings attached. If I need to come out, I'll tell you. If you can handle it yourself, I'll walk you through it.

Signs you need emergency plumbing services