Plumbing emergency? Start here
Tap what is happening. Each one opens three steps: make it safe, show us, get an engineer. If anyone is hurt, or water is near electrics you cannot switch off, leave the room and call 07861 933265 now.
Burst or leaking pipe
1. Make it safe. Turn the stopcock clockwise until it stops. Open the cold taps on the lowest floor to drain the pipes. If water is near sockets, switch that circuit off at the consumer unit, only if you can reach it without standing in water.
2. Show us. Take a photo of the leak and one of the room around it, and send both on WhatsApp.
3. Get an engineer. Call or WhatsApp. More detail: burst pipe: the first five minutes and burst pipe repair.
Water coming through the ceiling or a light
1. Make it safe. Do not touch light switches or the fitting. Switch off the lighting circuit, or the main switch, at the consumer unit. Then turn off the stopcock. If the ceiling is bulging, keep everyone out of the room.
2. Show us. Photograph the ceiling, and the room or bathroom directly above if you can get to it.
3. Get an engineer. Read water leaking from a light fitting, or go straight to water through the ceiling.
Drain blocked, or sewage coming back up
1. Make it safe. Stop all water use in the house: no flushing, showers, washing machine or dishwasher. Keep children and pets away. Wear gloves, and do not pour chemical unblockers into standing waste water.
2. Show us. Lift the inspection chamber cover outside and photograph it from above. Full or empty tells us where the blockage is.
3. Get an engineer. See sewage backing up into the house and emergency blocked drains.
Toilet blocked or overflowing
1. Make it safe. Do not flush again. Lift the cistern lid and push the float up, or close the small isolating valve on the pipe feeding the cistern. If it is the only toilet in the house, treat it as urgent.
2. Show us. A photo of the pan and of the floor around it.
3. Get an engineer. See overflowing toilet, or try our guide to unblocking a toilet first if nothing is overflowing.
No water at all
1. Check first. Ask a neighbour whether they have water, and look for a supply interruption from your water company. If they have water and you do not, check that your stopcock is fully open.
2. Show us. A photo of the stopcock and of any visible pipework near it.
3. Get an engineer. See no water and, in cold weather, frozen pipes.
No heating or hot water, or a boiler fault code
1. Check first. Read the pressure gauge: below 1 bar is the most common cause. On a frosty morning, the white plastic condensate pipe outside may be frozen. Never take the boiler casing off.
2. Show us. A photo of the boiler display and of the model sticker.
3. Get an engineer. Look up your code in boiler fault codes, or go to emergency boiler repair.
What it costs, whatever the hour
No call-out charge. £110 for the first hour, then £45 for each additional half hour, plus parts, at 3am or 3pm. The prices page has the full breakdown.
Not an emergency?
Browse our plumbing help and advice: do-it-yourself fixes, prevention, costs, boiler fault codes and revision notes for plumbing students.
Questions people ask
Can you tell what is wrong from a photo?
A photo tells us a lot, such as which pipe, which valve and how much water, and it means the engineer brings the right parts. It does not replace a proper look on site, so we will never promise a diagnosis or a final cost from a picture alone.
What if I cannot find the stopcock?
Ring us and stay on the line. We will ask about the house and talk you through the likely places, which in London homes are usually under the kitchen sink, under the stairs, in a cellar, or under a floorboard just inside the front door. In a flat it is often in a hall or airing cupboard.
Is it cheaper to wait until the morning?
No. The rate is the same at any hour: no call-out charge, £110 for the first hour and £45 for each half hour after, plus parts. If it is safe to wait, we will tell you and book a time that suits you.