Mets' McNeil asks Instagram followers for plumbing help on Long Island

The "Flying Squirrel" sprung a leak.

New York Mets infielder Jeff McNeil returned to his home late Sunday night, after an 11-day road trip with his family, to some water damage — caused by what he called "a big leak."

Upon discovering this, McNeil took to Instagram on Sunday night with a plea to his 124,000 followers.

"If you know of any emergency plumbers in the Long Island area. Please have them DM me," McNeil posted to his story. "Thank you. We got a situation." He ended the request with two face-palm emojis.

Soon, the post was screen-grabbed and started making its rounds on X and Reddit. After the issue was resolved, McNeil took note of users speculating on his saga online.

"I read it after, when I saw the comments on [X]," McNeil told Newsday.

For those in a similar predicament, there are plenty of plumbing companies that offer 24/7 emergency services on Long Island. Phil DePaul is the owner of 1-Tom-Plumber, based in Farmingdale. The company serves both Nassau and Suffolk counties.

"We’re built for 24/7 emergencies," said DePaul. "So we never actually close. We always have a live local dispatcher on call, and local technicians waiting to respond. If you call our main number, someone will always answer and always be willing to respond on Long Island."

But what can Long Islanders do while waiting for help to arrive?

"You would be surprised how many people don’t know where their main shutoff valve is," said James Montalbano, owner of Clearway Plumbing and Heating. Based in Blue Point, his company offers around-the-clock emergency services in Suffolk County. "The first thing you want to do is shut the water off."

Often Montalbano, who has been a plumber for about 40 years, will discover old, worn out valves that barely work while at a job site. Keeping your equipment up-to-date is essential, he said.

"Nobody likes to do preventative maintenance," said Montalbano. "Everybody waits for a problem. These houses on Long Island now … the pipes are 50 years old, and a lot of them are made out of copper. We have better technology now. We have materials now that are better-made."

There are some warning signs that will show you it’s time to call a plumber before a serious issue occurs, said DePaul.

"It can be as simple as a drip, whether there's a drip under the sink or a stained spot on the ceiling," he said. "Maybe a toilet or tub is making a gurgling sound, or it’s slow to drain. That’s an indication that the bandwidth of your drainpipe is getting smaller; that something is obstructing it or restricting it."

A small problem like this can be exacerbated by having guests at your house, when there will be heavy usage on these systems, DePaul added. Both DePaul and Montalbano recommended asking a plumber for a walk-through, wherein they assess your equipment and make sure everything is functioning properly, if you’re ever unsure whether or not something is a problem.

To find a plumber in an urgent situation, word of mouth is everything, Montalbano said. Using online reviews, a neighborhood app or local Facebook groups will help narrow down your search for plumbers in your area.

As for McNeil, his Instagram story worked: His neighbors found him a plumber. "He was a good person," he said. The plumber arrived the next morning, at 8:30 a.m.

There is minimal damage in his home and it could have been worse, McNeil added, but now it’s time to find a contractor. It’s hard to tell when exactly the leak started.

"Years," McNeil joked. "No, who knows? It was probably leaking for a day or two. I’m not sure. But we got it taken care of, I think."

He can thank Instagram for that. "I got what I needed," he said.