There’s never a good time for a leaking pipe. Whether it’s a slow drip under the kitchen sink or a burst pipe sending water across the floor, acting quickly can prevent thousands of pounds worth of damage to your home.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a plumber to reduce the damage while you wait for professional help. Here are the first steps we recommend.
- Turn off the water supply
This is always the first thing you should do.
If the leak is severe, locate your property’s main stop tap (also called a stopcock) and turn it clockwise until it stops.
This shuts off the water supply to your home and prevents more water escaping from the damaged pipe.
If you don’t know where your stop tap is, common locations include:
- Under the kitchen sink
- Beneath the stairs
- In a utility room
- Near where the water supply enters the property
If you’re reading this, the chances are you have a leak now and are looking to fix it. It really pays to try and identify where your stopcock is in case of any future issues.
We attended a property in Cortsway in Greasby a few months back. A couple of years ago, they had a stunning extension built – it provided a huge open-plan kitchen/diner, utility room and downstairs WC. However, they didn’t know where the stopcock was. They suspected it had been in their old kitchen, but that was long gone and the footprint of the property was transformed since.
They had a leak from the pipe feeding the taps in the bath upstairs, but had no way of turning the water off due to not knowing where the main stop tap was. By the time we arrived, a lot of water had leaked – it wasn’t an ideal situation at all, a fair amount of damage. Thankfully, we’ve seen these scenarios many times. From our experience of working in several houses in this road, we knew approximately where the stopcock would have been before their building work, and there were still telltale signs in the property of the outline of parts of the old kitchen (thanks to steel beams supporting the former walls!).
With this knowledge, we very quickly established that the stopcoch was in the utility room, under a countertop and behind a washing machine and drier. We turned it off swiftly and then set about fixing the issue.
Compare that with a visit mid-last year to an elderly gentleman in a property in Saughall Massie. He knew exactly where the stopcock was, and despite his advancing years, he got on his hand and knees and turned off the water supply very quickly. Little harm done, other than perhaps some damage to his pride as he has inadvertently drilled through a pipe to create the leak!
So, find the stopcock/ stop tap, and remember where it is!
- Turn your heating off
If the leak involves your central heating system rather than your mains water supply, switch the heating off.
Continuing to run the boiler can sometimes make the leak worse and may cause the boiler to lose pressure. Once it’s off, the plumber would then likely drain the central heating system when they arrive so that the leak can be fixed. I went through a spell a couple of years ago when I felt like I was draining people’s heating systems twice a week! It’s funny how jobs come in flurries!
- Protect your home
Once the water has stopped flowing:
- Move furniture away.
- Lift rugs and carpets where possible.
- Place towels around the leak.
- Use buckets or washing-up bowls to catch dripping water.
If water is coming through a ceiling, don’t forget the room below.
- Don’t panic if the leak looks worse than it is
We’ve attended countless properties where homeowners thought the situation was disastrous.
Sometimes what looks like a major leak turns out to be:
- a loose compression fitting
- a failed radiator valve
- a dripping tap connection
Equally, a tiny drip can sometimes indicate a hidden issue elsewhere in the system.
I remember visiting a house in Moreton just before Christmas last year and they were mortified that there was an enormous leak, it had created a huge damp spot on their lounge ceiling downstairs. Just days before Christmas, they were stressed.
It turned out that it was not even a failed radiator valve, but just a badly fitted one that needed properly tightening up. They had moved some boxes a few days prior when getting the Christmas tree out of the loft and suspected that some boxes of decorations had properly hit the valve. It shouldn’t be enough to create a leak, but in this instance it was. They hadn’t realised the issue until they spotted the mark on the ceiling downstairs.
I was able to quickly identify the leak from the position of the damp mark on the ceiling and fix the issue pretty quickly and cheaply – way cheaper than they had been fearing. Christmas wasn’t ruined afterall!
The family actually contacted me again a few months later to go and quote and ultimately install a new bathroom for them. The mark on the ceiling was still there, but because it was so feint, they hadn’t even painted it (yet).
So it just goes to show, don’t panic. That leak may not be as serious or damaging as it looks when you discover it.
- Use a temporary repair if it’s safe
If you’re confident and it’s safe to do so, temporary repair products such as:
- self-amalgamating tape
- repair clamps
- pipe repair putty
can slow the leak until an engineer arrives.
These are only temporary measures and shouldn’t replace a proper repair.
- Know when to turn the electricity off
If water is leaking near:
- sockets
- fuse boards
- electrical appliances
- lighting
avoid touching anything electrical.
If it’s safe to do so, switch the electricity off at the consumer unit and stay clear of the affected area until it’s been checked.
What not to do
Avoid:
- ignoring a slow leak
- overtightening fittings
- attempting repairs you’re unsure about
- boxing pipework back in before it’s been repaired
- repeatedly topping up your boiler if the heating system is leaking
These often make the eventual repair more difficult.
Can a leaking pipe fix itself?
Unfortunately not.
Even the smallest leak will usually get worse over time.
The earlier it’s repaired, the less chance there is of damage to walls, floors, ceilings or kitchen units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I turn the water off for a slow leak?
Yes. Even a slow drip can cause significant water damage if left long enough.
Can I still use my boiler if a pipe is leaking?
If the leak is on your central heating system, it’s usually best to switch the boiler off until the issue has been assessed.
Is a leaking radiator dangerous?
Not usually, but it can damage flooring and decorations if left unresolved.
Will home insurance cover a leaking pipe?
Many policies cover escape of water, although this varies between insurers. It’s worth checking your policy if significant damage has occurred.
Need an emergency plumber on the Wirral?
If you’ve discovered a leaking pipe, don’t ignore it. We’ve helped homeowners across the Wirral with everything from dripping compression joints and leaking radiator valves to burst pipes and hidden leaks beneath floors.
We’ll identify the cause of the leak, explain exactly what’s gone wrong and carry out a lasting repair—not just a temporary fix.
