How to stop a burst pipe before the plumber arrives

1. Find and close the internal stop tap

In a Swansea terrace the internal stop tap is almost always under the kitchen sink, at the back on the incoming mains pipe. In newer builds it can sit in the downstairs cloakroom, the utility room or inside the airing cupboard. Turn it clockwise until it stops.

If it is seized, the outside stop tap in the pavement box will do the same job. You need a long stop tap key, though a length of wood with a slot cut in the end will usually turn it in a pinch.

2. Drain the pipework

Open every cold tap in the house and flush the toilets. That empties the pipes above the burst so the leak slows to a drip rather than feeding from the whole system.

• Open cold taps upstairs first, then downstairs
• Switch the boiler and immersion heater off
• Leave hot taps closed until the boiler has cooled

3. Protect the electrics

If water is anywhere near a light fitting, socket or consumer unit, switch that circuit off at the fuse board. Do not touch anything electrical while standing in water, leave the room and wait for us.

4. Photograph everything for your insurer

Before you mop up, take wide shots of the room and close-ups of the split pipe, wet plaster and any damaged flooring or furniture. Insurers ask for evidence of the source, not just the mess, and a photo of the closed stop tap shows you acted quickly.

5. Call us with the details ready

Tell us whether the water is off, where the leak is and what the pipe is made of if you can see it, copper, plastic or lead all change what we bring. We will give you a fixed price before we start and, wherever possible, an arrival window the same day.