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  3. Burst pipe: what to do in the first five minutes

Burst pipe: what to do in the first five minutes

By Declan Barry, plumber, Stockport. Updated 2026-09-10.

Turn the water off at the stopcock, open the cold taps to drain the pipes, switch off the heating and any electrics near the water, and put a bucket under a bulging ceiling. Then ring a plumber. Doing those four things first is the difference between a wet floor and a collapsed ceiling.

What to do

  1. Turn off the stopcock

    Clockwise until it stops. Under the kitchen sink, in the cellar, or by the front door. If you do not know where it is, read the stopcock guide now, before you need it.

  2. Open the cold taps

    Every cold tap in the house, starting downstairs. This drains the pipes so the burst stops flowing. Do not open the hot taps yet if you have a cylinder; that drains the cylinder through the burst.

  3. Turn off the heating and the immersion

    If the burst is on a heating pipe, switch the heating off so the pump stops pushing water out. Switch off the immersion heater so the cylinder cannot heat up empty.

  4. Deal with the ceiling

    If a ceiling is bulging, put a bucket under it and pierce the bulge with a screwdriver. Letting the water out slowly is far better than the whole ceiling coming down at once.

  5. Turn off electrics near the water

    If water has reached sockets, light fittings or the consumer unit, switch off the affected circuit or the whole board. Do not touch anything electrical that is wet.

  6. Then ring

    07463 838090. Tell me where the water is coming from and what you have turned off. I will tell you if there is anything else to do while I am on my way.

When to ring a plumber

  • As soon as the water is off. Every burst needs a proper repair, and the sooner the pipe is fixed the sooner the water goes back on.
  • If you cannot stop the water, ring immediately and I will talk you through the outside stop tap.

Questions

Why did my pipe burst?

In winter, almost always because it froze. Water expands as it freezes, splits the pipe, and the leak appears when it thaws. The rest of the year it is corrosion, a failed joint, or a nail through a pipe.

Can I turn the water back on after I have turned it off?

Not until the burst is repaired. If you need water in the meantime, fill a couple of containers from the outside tap or a neighbour.

Related

Emergency plumberHow to find and turn off your stopcockRadiator cold at the bottom but hot at the topHeating pressure keeps droppingFrozen pipes: how to thaw them safely and stop it happening again
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