Water Coming Through the Ceiling? Is It Rain or a Pipe?
By Emergency Plumb London,
Finding water coming through a ceiling raises two urgent questions: where is it coming from, and who needs to fix it? A few clues, which take less than a minute to check, usually answer both.
Rain or plumbing?
Start with the weather and the timing.
- It only drips during or just after heavy rain. That points to the roof, a gutter, a parapet or a blocked rainwater pipe. Top-floor flats and rooms under flat roofs and valley gutters are the usual victims.
- It drips in dry weather. That is almost always plumbing: a supply pipe, a waste pipe, a heating pipe or a radiator valve.
- It starts when someone runs a bath, a shower or a washing machine upstairs. That is a waste pipe, a failed seal around a bath or shower tray, or a cracked tile with a gap behind it.
- It is steady and does not stop. That is a pressurised pipe, and it needs the water shut off now.
What the water itself tells you
Clear, clean water that keeps coming usually means a supply pipe. Grey, soapy water points to a waste pipe from a bath, shower or basin. Rusty or dark water can come from a central heating circuit. Water that smells of sewage needs a plumber straight away and should not be touched without gloves.
The ceiling itself
Older houses here often still have lath and plaster ceilings, which hold water and grow heavy. A ceiling that is sagging, bulging or cracking can come down without much warning. Keep everyone out from under it. If water near a light fitting is involved, switch the electrics off at the fuse board for that part of the home.
When you live in a flat
In a converted house or a mansion block, the leak is often not in your flat. As a rule, a pipe that serves only one flat is that flat owner’s responsibility, while pipes, drains and roofs that serve the whole building usually fall to the freeholder or the managing agent. Your lease is what decides it, so check it when things are calm. In the moment, knock on your neighbour’s door, tell the managing agent in writing, and take dated photos of the damage for your insurer.
When to call us
If the leak happens in dry weather, comes and goes with water use, or will not stop, call 07862 142953 or send us a photo on WhatsApp. Our page on water leaking through the ceiling explains how we find the source and make the room safe.
Questions people ask
The stain is brown. Does that mean it is old?
Not necessarily. Water picks up colour from dust, old timber and plaster on its way through. Brown water can be fresh, and a brown ring with a dry centre usually means a leak that has stopped and started more than once.
Who should I call first, a plumber or a roofer?
If it only appears in heavy rain, start with a roofer. If it happens in dry weather, or when someone upstairs uses water, it is plumbing, and you should call us.
My landlord or freeholder is not answering. What can I do?
Protect your home first: water off if it is your supply, electrics off near the leak, belongings moved. Then keep a written record of when you reported it and who you told.
Sources
- How to check for lead pipes, Thames Water