We often take home plumbing for granted. From a turn of the tap for water to a refreshing shower in the morning, having water in the home is amazing. However, with this power, it can bring issues, such as burst pipes or perhaps, more commonly, water leaks. Water leaks will often start as so small that they are barely noticeable, but they can quickly become costly when it comes to your water bill and its repair.
Place a dish or bowl underneath the leak. Pull back any carpets and lay down newspapers or towels to absorb any dampness.
Your stopcock is the control tap for your mains water. If you’re unfortunate enough to have a burst pipe or broken tap, with water causing damage to your floors and furnishings, then you need to find your stopcock sharpish. If you don’t, your home could be badly damaged before the plumber arrives.
Generally speaking, most homes have an internal stopcock and an external stopcock.
1 Turn off the water supply – turn off the main stopcock (diagram to the right). You should find this under the kitchen sink. .
2 Drain the system – drain the system by turning on all of your cold taps and flushing your toilets.
3 Turn off water heating systems – switch off the central heating, immersion heater and any other water heating systems. Once water heating has shut down, turn on the hot taps to help drain the system.
4 Turn off the electrics – if water from the burst pipe is leaking near your electrics or electrical appliances, switch off the mains immediately. If the mains switch is wet, don’t touch it!