What to do if a pipe bursts
If a pipe has burst, follow these eight steps . . .
- Turn the water supply off at the stopcock tap. It's probably near the kitchen sink.
- Turn the cold taps ON. Make sure the sink and bath plugs are out. And save some water for drinking.
- Turn the immersion heater and central heating OFF if you have them. If you have a solid fuel boiler, let the fire die out.
- Turn the hot taps ON.
- If there's water near the lights or sockets, turn the electricity off at the meter.
- Catch leaks in basins and soak up water with towels to prevent water damaging your home.
- Phone us on 0161 953 2584. Outside normal office hours (8am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday) you can use this same number if the problem is an emergency that threatens your health, safety or security.
- Keep warm and dry. Put on extra layers of clothes till things warm up again.
If your pipes have frozen but not burst
Follow steps 1, 2 and 7 above. Or if you know which pipe is frozen, very gently warm it with hot water bottles or a hair dryer. Start from the end nearest the tap.
Find out how to prevent bursts
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