Burst pipe repair in London

Turn the water off at the stopcock, which in most London properties is under the kitchen sink or in a downstairs cupboard. Turn it clockwise. If yours is seized or you cannot find it, there is usually an external stop tap near the boundary that the water company can operate.

Then open the cold taps to drain what is left in the pipework, and turn off the heating if the leak is on a heating pipe. If water is anywhere near light fittings or a consumer unit, turn the electrics off at the board. Move what you can out of the way and put a container under the drip — but the stopcock is the thing that actually stops the damage.

Freezing is the classic cause and it peaks in January. Water expands as it freezes, splits the pipe, and the leak only appears when it thaws — which is why a cold snap produces a wave of calls a few days after the temperature comes back up. Pipes in lofts, garages and outside walls are the vulnerable ones because they are the ones outside the insulation.

The other causes are age and pressure. Older copper thins over decades, particularly at bends where the wall is stretched. Failed joints on push-fit work show up as slow weeps that suddenly go. In flats, high mains pressure without a pressure-reducing valve puts constant stress on every joint in the property.

Escape of water is one of the most common domestic insurance claims there is. Most policies cover the damage the water caused and the trace and access work needed to reach the leak, even where they exclude the failed pipe itself.

That makes documentation worth having. We record what failed, where, and what was needed to reach it, which is exactly what an insurer asks for. If you are claiming, say so when you call and we will make sure the paperwork matches.