Plumbing & water
Water leak? Do these five things now
Water is escaping and every minute is soaking into something. Do the five steps first: stopcock off, electrics safe, heating off, pipes drained, evidence captured. The explanations underneath will still be here when the flow has stopped.
By the Tickover team · Published 10 July 2026 · 4 min read
How urgent is this?
Act now, read later
Moving water ruins plaster, chipboard and ceilings by the minute. Run the drill first; questions afterwards.
The five-step leak drill
Stopcock off
Turn the internal stopcock fully clockwise. Under the kitchen sink is the most common home for it.
Cut power to wet areas, if safe
Water near sockets, light fittings or appliances: switch the affected circuit off at the consumer unit, but only if you can reach it without standing in water.
Heating off
Switch the boiler or immersion heater off, so the hot water system is not busy reheating while you drain it.
Open the taps
Cold taps first, then hot, and flush the toilets. Pipework and any loft tank hold a surprising amount, and this empties them through the taps instead of the ceiling.
Catch, contain, photograph
Buckets and towels under the drip, furniture clear, then photos and video of everything wet. Your insurer will ask.
Where is it actually coming from?
Water through a ceiling has two suspects. If it appears during or after rain, think roof, and switch to what to do when a roof leaks. If the weather is dry and it keeps coming, it is plumbing above: bathroom fittings, a tank, or a heating pipe under the floor.
If the stopcock is off and water still flows, that is stored water on its way down: loft tank, hot water cylinder, or the heating circuit. Keep the taps open and let it run down. A bulging ceiling is holding a pond; put a bucket under the lowest point and keep people out of the room.
Who to call, and what counts as an emergency
An emergency call-out earns its premium when you cannot stop the flow at any valve, when water is meeting electrics, or when the house has no water and someone vulnerable in it. If you have isolated the leak, you have already downgraded it: mop up tonight, book a daytime plumber tomorrow, and pay normal rates for the same fix.
What speed costs
Out-of-hours call-out
often plus a higher hourly rate
Daytime call-out, first hour
Plumber, per hour
Typical UK ranges, mid-2026, as a guide only. Your home, your area and the job itself all move the number — always compare real quotes.
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After the water stops
The mop-up list
- Keep every photo and video, timestamped
- List damaged items before you bin anything
- Call your insurer’s claims line early, not after repairs
- Ventilate hard: windows open, internal doors wedged
- Lift soaked rugs and get furniture off wet carpet
- Watch ceilings below for sagging over the next day
- Leave tripped circuits off until an electrician has checked them
The whole drill collapses to two minutes when the groundwork is done: a stopcock you have already found and tested, a torch that works, and the water company’s number written down. That is the case for a home emergency kit, and for the ten-minute preparations in the home plumbing guide.
Quick answers
Should I turn off the electricity during a water leak?
Turn off the circuits for any area where water has reached sockets, lights or appliances, at the consumer unit, and only if you can reach it without standing in water. If the consumer unit itself is wet, leave it alone and wait for a professional. Dry hands and a dry route, or it does not happen.
Water keeps coming after the stopcock is off. Why?
Because stored water is still draining down: a loft tank, the hot water cylinder or the heating circuit. Open taps to hurry it through the plumbing rather than the ceiling. If mains-fed water keeps flowing regardless, the stopcock is not fully closed or is failing, so use the outside stop valve at the boundary.
Is water leak damage covered by home insurance?
Escape of water is a standard peril on most buildings policies, covering the damage the water does, though usually not the worn pipe or fitting that failed. Excesses for it can be higher than the standard one. Photograph everything, keep damaged items until the insurer says otherwise, and report the claim promptly.
When is a leak worth an out-of-hours plumber?
When you cannot stop the flow at the stopcock or an isolation valve, when water is near electrics, or when the household cannot manage without water overnight. Otherwise isolate, mop up and book a daytime visit. The identical repair is £100–£200 cheaper at ten in the morning than at midnight.
This guide is general information for UK homes, not advice about your specific property. Anything involving gas must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and notifiable electrical work by a qualified electrician. If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999. If you’re ever unsure, stop and get a professional in — that’s exactly what Tickover is for.
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