Burst pipe repair

A burst pipe lets out water quickly, and it keeps coming until the supply is shut off. In a house with high ceilings and old plaster, the damage spreads fast: through floorboards, along joists and into the rooms and flats below. The first ten minutes matter more than anything we do afterwards.

The first ten minutes

1. Close the stopcock. Turn it clockwise until it stops. If it will not move, use the outside stop valve, usually under a small cover in the pavement or front path.
2. Switch off the electrics for any part of the home where water is near sockets, lights or appliances.
3. Open the cold taps on the lowest floor to drain the pipes, and turn off the boiler or immersion heater.
4. Catch what you can. Buckets under drips, towels along skirting boards, and valuables out of the room.
5. Call 07862 142953 or send a WhatsApp photo of the burst, and we will tell you what to expect.

What our engineer does

Dust sheets and floor protection go down first. The engineer then finds the damaged length, cuts it out and joins in new pipe that matches what you have, whether that is copper, plastic or a section of old lead that needs a proper transition fitting. Before leaving, they turn the water back on slowly, check every joint they have touched and look along the run for the next weak spot.

If the pipe split because it froze, we lag it or reroute it so the same place does not burst again next winter. If it failed because it is old, we tell you how much more of the run is in the same state, so you can decide calmly rather than in the middle of the night.

Why pipes burst in homes round here

Many homes in the areas we cover are well over a century old. Their pipes run through cold lofts, under suspended floors, behind panelling and along outside walls. Old lead and early copper joints give way with age. Pipes in unheated spaces freeze in a cold snap, and the ice splits them. Houses converted into flats add shared risers and long runs, where a burst in one flat soon becomes everyone’s problem.

Every repair comes with our written 12-month guarantee. If you are in Hampstead or nearby and a pipe has gone, call us now on 07862 142953. We also cover every other area we serve, from Mayfair and Chelsea to Alexandra Park.