What to do when a pipe bursts

A burst pipe, wherever its location in your house can have a devastating effect on your property, especially if it goes unnoticed for a length of time that ultimately leads to flooding.

Unfortunately incidents like this do happen from time to time and knowing how to act quickly and effectively if you are in the vicinity can be the difference of a few pounds rather than potentially thousands to redecorate and replace floorboards and plaster.

Utilise our experience and follow AR Plumbing and Heating quick steps on what to do if one of your pipes burst:

• Identify the source – just follow the sound of water. Its important to find out where the leak is coming from before you switch off your supply, otherwise you’ll have no idea what needs repairing!
• Turn off the water – your next step is to stem the water supply to your property by turning your stopcock. Knowing where abouts your stopcock is in your home is vital, don’t just wait for an emergency to look for it.
• Drain your system – To get rid of any remaining water in your pipes, flush your toilets and turn on all of your cold taps throughout the house. Don’t worry about the leak starting up again as shutting off your stopcock has already ensured this won’t happen. Then turn off your heating system and go through the same process for your hot taps.
• Clean up – before addressing the leak you need to start the clean up! If you were quick to catch the problem then hopefully you will only need a few towels to soak up any water. If you weren’t so lucky you may have to use buckets to catch any drips, make sure you pay attention to the state of the ceiling if the leak happened above the ground floor – you should use a screwdriver or broom to make a hole if you notice it starting to bulge
• Fix the problem – make sure you have everything you need before you start – a pipe clamp, infill connectors and repair putty are all likely requirements.

Depending on your own confidence in carrying out the repairs and the extent of the burst you may want a professional plumber – Ring our 24 hours telephone for AR Plumbing and Heating to come and carry out the work for you.