Burst Pipe Repair in London

A burst pipe can empty a tank into your ceiling in under an hour.

Get the water off first, then call us, we carry fittings for copper, plastic and lead on every van, so most bursts are repaired on the first visit.

Burst pipe repair in London: do this now, while you wait

1. Turn the water off at the stopcockUsually under the kitchen sink, in an airing cupboard, or where the main enters the house. Turn clockwise until it stops.

2. Cut the power if water is near electricsSwitch off at the consumer unit. Do not touch wet sockets, switches or light fittings.

3. Open the cold tapsThis drains the pipework and slows the leak while you wait.

4. Contain and photographBuckets and towels down, valuables out from underneath, photos for your insurer.

What causes a burst pipe in London

• Freeze–thaw. Water expands as it freezes and splits the pipe, the leak shows at thaw, which is why bursts spike the day after a cold snap.
• Corroded pipework. Mid-century copper and old galvanised steel perforate from the inside out, common across London’s older housing stock.
• Pressure spikes. A failed pressure-reducing valve or mains work in the street pushes a weak joint past its limit.
• Bad joints. Compression fittings never fully tightened, or push-fit used where it shouldn’t have been.

Local conditions we work around

Most London bursts we attend are not dramatic freezes, they are pinhole failures in 1960s and 70s copper that replaced the original Victorian runs, opening up where hard water and years of scale have thinned the wall. In mansion blocks the complication is access rather than the repair: the isolating valve is often on a communal riser behind a cupboard the freeholder holds the key to, so the water can keep running while somebody finds a managing agent at 3am. Knowing where your flat’s own stopcock is saves more damage than our arrival time does.