Waywest Mechanical provides 24-hour emergency plumbing, heating and gas service in Nanaimo and across Vancouver Island, every day of the year, typically on site within an hour in Nanaimo. Call 250-616-1446 for burst pipes, sewer backups, failed water heaters, no heat, boiler or furnace breakdowns and commercial refrigeration failures. Calls are handled by Waywest's own licensed technicians, not an outside answering service.
Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:30 PM · quotes within the hour
First steps while you wait
What you do in the first five minutes decides how much damage there is to repair.
Water escaping. Close the main water shut-off where the line enters the house — usually a crawlspace, garage or utility room. If a hot water tank is leaking, also close the cold-water valve on top of the tank and turn off its power or set the gas control to "pilot".
Sewage backing up. Stop running water anywhere in the building, including dishwashers and washing machines. Every litre you send down the drain has to come back up somewhere.
No heat. Check the thermostat has power and is set to heat, and that the furnace switch (it looks like a light switch, near the unit) is on. Replace a badly clogged furnace filter. Do not repeatedly reset a boiler or furnace that keeps locking out — that can hide a real fault.
Gas smell. Get everyone out first. Do not flip switches or use a phone inside. Call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 or 911 from outside, then call us once it is safe.
Water near electrical. Stay out of standing water that could be in contact with a panel, outlet or appliance. Turn off the breaker only if you can reach the panel from dry ground.
Plumbing emergencies
- Burst or split pipes, including Poly-B fitting failures
- Hot water tanks leaking or failed completely
- Sewer and drain backups into the house
- No water supply to an occupied home
- Frozen pipes during cold snaps
- Sump pump failures during heavy rain
Details on how we handle these are on our emergency plumbing page.
Heating and gas emergencies
- Furnace not starting or blowing cold air
- Boiler lockouts, leaks or pressure problems
- Heat pump failures when there is no backup heat
- Gas smells near appliances, once the utility has made the site safe
- Carbon monoxide alarm activations, after the fire department or FortisBC has cleared the building
Island winters are more wet than cold, but when a cold snap does arrive, heating calls climb quickly. Because Waywest is licensed by Technical Safety BC for gas and boiler work, the technician who diagnoses the problem can legally repair it — there is no waiting for a second trade.
Commercial emergencies
A walk-in cooler that stops holding temperature, a restaurant with no hot water before service, or a strata building with a failed boiler cannot wait until Monday. Waywest's refrigeration and commercial service crews take emergency calls on the same line.
What happens when you call
- You talk to a person who asks what is happening and whether water or gas is shut off.
- We tell you the emergency rate before anyone is dispatched. In Nanaimo, a technician is typically on site within an hour.
- A Waywest technician arrives with a stocked service vehicle and makes the situation safe.
- We repair what we can on the spot. If a part is not available overnight, we stabilize the system and complete the permanent repair during regular hours at the regular rate.
Emergency coverage area
The emergency line covers Nanaimo and Waywest's Vancouver Island service area, including Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Ladysmith, Duncan, Chemainus and the Comox Valley. For communities further from Nanaimo, we give you an honest travel estimate on the phone.
What happens when you call
- A person answers
You talk to the Nanaimo office, or our own crew on the 24/7 line — not a call centre.
- You hear the rate first
We explain the service rate, or the emergency rate after hours, before anyone is booked or dispatched.
- A licensed technician arrives
A Waywest technician with a stocked vehicle diagnoses the problem and explains your options.
- You approve the work
Repairs go ahead once you agree. Larger jobs get a written quote you can take time to consider.
Quick facts
- Emergency service
- 24/7 at 250-616-1446 — typically on site within an hour in Nanaimo
- Office hours
- Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:30 PM, 250-729-2394
- Service area
- Nanaimo and Vancouver Island, Victoria to Port Hardy
- Licensing
- TSBC licence LGA0004592; licensed, bonded and insured
- Quotes
- Reply within the hour during business hours
- Page updated
Common questions
Is Waywest's emergency line really answered 24 hours a day?
Yes. The emergency line at 250-616-1446 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including statutory holidays, and in Nanaimo a technician typically arrives within an hour. It covers plumbing, heating, gas and commercial refrigeration emergencies anywhere in Waywest's Vancouver Island service area.
What counts as a heating emergency?
No heat in an occupied home during cold weather, a boiler or furnace that has locked out and will not restart, water leaking from a boiler, or any heating appliance that smells of gas or exhaust. Elderly occupants, infants or medical needs make a no-heat call more urgent.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Leave the building immediately without using light switches, appliances or phones inside. From outside, call FortisBC's 24-hour gas emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 or 911. Once the utility has made the site safe, Waywest can find and repair the leak and relight your equipment.
Do emergency calls cost more?
After-hours, weekend and holiday calls are billed at an emergency rate plus parts. We tell you the rate on the phone before dispatching a technician. If the problem can safely wait until business hours at the standard rate, we will say so.
Do you handle commercial emergencies?
Yes. Waywest responds to restaurants, strata buildings and commercial properties for plumbing failures, heating breakdowns and refrigeration outages such as a walk-in cooler losing temperature. Tell us on the call who is authorizing the work so the technician is not held up on site.
Still not sure if it's an emergency?
Call and describe it. If it can safely wait for regular hours at the regular rate, we will tell you.