Emergencies
Burst pipe? What to do in the first 10 minutes
By Urgent Plumbers London team4 min read
In short
Turn off the water at the stopcock, keep away from wet electrics, open the cold taps to drain the pipes, then call a 24-hour plumber. Those four steps in the first ten minutes decide how much damage a burst pipe does.
A burst pipe releases a lot of water very quickly. What you do in the first ten minutes makes the biggest difference to the damage, and to the repair bill. Here's the order we'd follow.
1. Turn off the water at the stopcock
The stopcock (also called the stop tap or stop valve) controls the mains water into your home. Turn it clockwise until it stops. In most houses it's under the kitchen sink. If it isn't there, check:
- A downstairs toilet or cloakroom
- The airing cupboard
- Under the stairs or near the front door, sometimes beneath a floorboard
- In a garage or utility room
- For flats: a communal cupboard or riser on your landing
If the stopcock is stiff, don't force it so hard it snaps. Call us and we'll talk you through the alternatives while we're on our way.
2. Make the electrics safe
If water is coming through a ceiling light or near sockets, switch off the electricity at the consumer unit, but only if you can reach it without standing in water. Don't touch wet switches or appliances.
3. Drain the system
Open all the cold taps and flush the toilets to empty the pipes. That reduces how much water keeps escaping. If the leak is on a hot pipe, switch off the boiler or immersion heater too.
4. Protect your home and call us
- Move valuables, electricals and rugs out of the way
- Put buckets and towels under drips
- If a ceiling is bulging with water, keep clear of it
- Take photos and video for your insurer
- Call a 24/7 plumber: 07473 334 565
Why do pipes burst?
The most common causes are freezing in cold weather (water expands as it freezes and splits the pipe), corrosion in older copper or iron pipework, failed joints and fittings, and accidental damage from nails or screws. When we repair a burst, we also look at why it happened so it doesn't happen again.
How to prevent frozen pipes
- Lag pipes in lofts, garages and against outside walls
- Keep the heating on low if you go away in winter
- Fit covers to outside taps, or isolate and drain them
- Fix dripping taps and overflows, which can freeze and block
- Know where your stopcock is, and check it turns, before you need it
