Deal with a burst pipe

Stop the water, find the burst, relieve pressure safely, patch it temporarily, then dry out and arrange a permanent repair.

BP-01Make the area electrically safe firstIf water is dripping near sockets, switches, light fittings or a ceiling rose, switch off the electrics at the consumer unit before you do anything else. Do not touch switches or sockets with wet hands or if you can see water pooling near them. Water and electricity together can kill, so this comes before you even think about the pipe.

BP-02Turn the water off at the stopcockGo to your stopcock, usually under the kitchen sink, and turn it clockwise until it stops. This shuts off the mains supply to the whole house. If you have an outside stopcock too, turn that off as well for extra certainty, especially if the burst is severe.

BP-03Drain the remaining water out of the pipesOpen every cold and hot tap in the house, starting with the highest one and working down, and flush toilets once. This empties the pipework and reduces how much water keeps coming out of the burst while you sort it. Leave the taps open until the flow slows to a trickle.

BP-04Relieve a bulging ceiling before it collapsesIf water is pooling behind a ceiling and it is starting to sag or bulge, do not wait for it to burst on its own. Put a bucket underneath, wear rubber gloves, stand well clear of the bulge itself, and pierce the lowest point with a screwdriver so the water drains through in a controlled way. This is much safer and less damaging than letting a large section of plasterboard or lath and plaster come down on its own.

1 each · Bucket

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1 pair · Rubber gloves

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1 each · Long flathead screwdriver

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BP-05Find where the pipe has actually burstCheck obvious places first: under the kitchen or bathroom sink, behind the washing machine, at the boiler, and along any visible pipe runs in the loft or under floors. If you can see the split pipe, you can go straight to the temporary repair step. If water is coming through a wall or ceiling with no visible pipe, the burst is hidden and you will need to cut an access hole to reach it.

BP-06Work out what you are cutting into, if the pipe is hiddenBefore cutting an access hole, work out whether you are dealing with solid masonry, dot-and-dab plasterboard, lath and plaster, or a stud wall or ceiling. Tap the surface: a dull, solid sound usually means masonry or dot-and-dab, a hollow sound with give in it usually means plasterboard on studs or lath and plaster. If it is a stud wall, run a magnet or stud detector along the surface to find the line of screw heads or the studs themselves, and note their spacing, usually 400mm or 600mm apart.

1 each · Stud detector or magnet

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BP-07Check for timber or metal studs before you cutDrill a small pilot hole, no deeper than 10mm, at the edge of where you plan to cut. Pale, curly dust means timber studs. Fine grey metal shavings mean metal studs, which are common in flats, new-build homes, and anything refitted since the 1990s. This matters for how you patch the hole afterwards, and metal stud frames can also confuse cheaper stud detectors, so treat the pilot hole test as the more reliable check.

1 each · Cordless drill with small bit

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BP-08Cut the access hole safelyCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall or ceiling, not just in the marked safe zones. Use a detector, but still assume something is there until you have proved otherwise by cutting carefully in small stages. Your water is already off at the stopcock, so a nicked pipe here is a nuisance rather than a flood, but if you are in any doubt about hitting a cable, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before you cut. Use a plasterboard saw or utility knife for plasterboard and lath and plaster, working slowly, and stop the moment you feel or see a service.

1 each · Plasterboard saw or utility knife

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BP-09Fit a temporary repair to stop the leakDry the pipe as best you can, then fit a pipe repair clamp over the split and tighten it evenly, or wrap several layers of self-amalgamating tape tightly around the damaged section, stretching it as you go. For a copper pipe, a push-fit slip coupling cut into the pipe is a stronger short-term fix if you are confident cutting and fitting it. This is a temporary measure to get you through until a plumber can make a permanent repair.

1 each · Pipe repair clamp

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1 roll · Self-amalgamating tape

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1 each · Push-fit slip coupling

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1 each · Pipe cutter

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BP-10Turn the water back on slowly and check the repairClose all the taps you opened earlier, then turn the stopcock back on slowly, not all at once. Go straight to the repair and watch it closely for a few minutes for any weeping or dripping. If it holds, run each tap in the house briefly to clear any air and check nothing else has started leaking.

BP-11Close up the access hole with the right fixingCut a patch of plasterboard slightly larger than the hole. Into a timber stud, use a wood screw into the centre of the stud. Into a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing, never a plain wall plug or ordinary wood screw, which will strip straight through 0.5mm steel. For dot-and-dab, use a fixing long enough to reach the solid masonry behind the plasterboard. Into lath and plaster, aim for the timber joist or stud behind the laths rather than relying on the laths themselves. Leave the patch unfixed or loosely taped for now if a plumber still needs access.

1 each · Plasterboard offcut

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6 each · Wood screws 38mm

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6 each · Self-drilling metal stud fixings

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6 each · Wall plugs and long screws for dot-and-dab

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BP-12Dry out the affected areaMop up any standing water and remove badly soaked carpet or underlay before it starts to smell or grow mould. Run fans and, if you can hire or borrow one, a dehumidifier, in the room for several days. Leave skirting boards slightly away from the wall if they have been soaked, to help air get behind them.

1 day · Dehumidifier hire

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4 each · Old towels or rags

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BP-13Get electrics checked if water reached themIf water dripped onto or near any socket, switch, light fitting or the consumer unit itself, do not switch that circuit back on. Get a qualified electrician to check it before you restore power, even if it looks dry now.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

Electrics that have been in contact with water should be checked by a qualified electrician before use. Certain electrical repair or rewiring work, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, falls under Part P of the Building Regulations and may need to be notified or carried out by a registered electrician.

BP-14Arrange a permanent repair and log it for insuranceBook a plumber to replace the damaged section of pipe properly rather than relying on the clamp or tape long-term. Take photos of the damage, the burst pipe, and any affected flooring, ceilings or belongings before you clear up, in case you need to make an insurance claim.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

Permanent changes to pipework must comply with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, which cover materials, pipe sizing and preventing contamination of the water supply. A plumber carrying out the permanent repair should already work to these.

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