The short answer: Turn the water off at your internal stop tap (usually under the kitchen sink), then open the cold taps to drain the pipes. Switch off electrics if water is near them, and photograph the damage for your insurer. Once the flow stops, find the burst and arrange a repair.
A burst pipe is one of those problems that turns calm into chaos in seconds. Water spreads fast, and the longer it runs, the more damage it does to floors, ceilings and belongings. The good news is that the first few minutes are the ones that matter most, and the steps are simpler than they feel in the moment. Here is exactly what to do, in order, followed by how to track down a burst you cannot see and get it put right.
1. Turn the water off at the stop tap
Your first job is to stop the supply. The internal stop tap (sometimes called a stopcock) is the valve you will usually reach for in an emergency because it is the easiest and safest to get to. In most homes it sits under the kitchen sink, close to where the cold water pipe enters the property. If it is not there, check a downstairs toilet, a utility room, an airing cupboard or near the front door.
Turn the valve clockwise to close it. The flow through your pipes should slow and then stop. It is worth finding and testing your stop tap before you ever need it, because a valve that has not been turned in years can be stiff. If yours feels seized, do not force it with a spanner or lean on it hard, as that can crack the fitting and make the flooding worse. Ease it gently back and forth a few millimetres, and if it will not budge, leave it open and move straight to limiting the damage.
2. Open the taps to drain the system
Once the stop tap is closed, open the cold taps around your home, starting at the kitchen sink. The water will run for a moment, then slow to a trickle and stop as the pipes empty. This relieves the pressure in the system and clears out the standing water that would otherwise keep escaping from the burst. If the leak seems to be coming from the hot side, turn off your boiler or immersion heater as well, then run the hot taps to drain those pipes too. Draining the system quickly often makes the difference between a damp patch and a soaked ceiling.
3. Stay safe around water and electrics
Water and electricity are a dangerous mix. If water is dripping near light fittings, sockets or your consumer unit, or pooling beneath them, switch off the electricity at the fuse board before you go near it. If the fuse board itself is wet or you are unsure whether it is safe to touch, stay clear and call a qualified electrician. Never stand in water to operate a switch. The same goes for ceilings: a bulging, water-filled ceiling can come down without warning, so keep everyone out of the room until it has been dealt with.
4. Contain the mess and protect your belongings
With the supply off, you can start mopping up. Use buckets, towels and a bucket under any active drip, and move furniture, rugs and electricals well away from the wet area. If water has collected above a ceiling, a small, careful hole over a bucket can release it in a controlled way rather than letting it find its own route through your plasterwork. Lift anything off the floor that water could wick into, and open windows to get some air moving once the immediate risk has passed.
Signs you may have a hidden burst pipe
- A sudden drop in water pressure at the taps
- Damp patches, stains or bubbling paint on walls or ceilings
- A patch of floor or carpet that stays warm or wet for no clear reason
- The sound of running water when every tap is off
- A water meter that keeps ticking over with nothing in use
- An unexplained jump in your water bill
Finding a burst you cannot see
Some bursts are obvious, with water spraying from a visible joint. Others are hidden inside a wall, under a solid floor or buried in the ground on a supply pipe, and these are the ones that cause slow, expensive damage before anyone notices. Cutting holes in plaster or lifting floors at random rarely finds the source and often makes the repair bigger than it needs to be.
This is where a professional approach pays off. Specialists use non-invasive methods to pinpoint a leak before anything is opened up. Thermal imaging cameras pick up the subtle temperature changes that escaping water leaves behind inside walls and under floors. Acoustic listening equipment uses sensitive microphones to detect the change in sound that water makes as it forces its way out of a pressurised pipe, which helps narrow the location down to a small area. Moisture meters confirm where damp has spread, and small inspection cameras can be fed into pipework to look from the inside. You can read more about how this works on our water leak detection service page.
Getting the pipe repaired
Once the burst has been located, the repair is usually far more straightforward than the search. A visible split on accessible pipework can often be cut out and replaced quickly. A leak under a solid floor or behind a wall may need a section of pipe to be re-routed or relined, but because the exact spot is known, the work and the disruption can be kept to a minimum. If the burst is on the supply pipe between the boundary and your home, your water company may share responsibility, so it is worth checking with South West Water before you commit to anything. Whatever the situation, getting the leak found accurately first means the repair can be planned properly rather than rushed.
What about insurance?
Damage caused by escaping water is one of the most common things people claim for, and many buildings insurance policies cover it as standard. A useful distinction to understand is that policies typically cover the damage the escaped water causes to your home, rather than the cost of repairing the pipe itself, though cover varies between insurers. This is why the photographs and notes you take early on are so valuable. Record the source, the spread of the water and the affected rooms and contents before you start clearing up, and keep any receipts for emergency work. Contact your insurer as soon as you reasonably can; many will arrange for someone to assess the damage and advise on the next steps. Always check the wording of your own policy, as exclusions for things like wear and tear or lack of maintenance can apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Turn the water off at your internal stop tap, which is usually found under the kitchen sink. Turn the valve clockwise to close it. Stopping the supply is the single most important step, because it cuts off the water feeding the burst and limits how far the flooding can spread through your home.
Yes, if water is anywhere near sockets, light fittings or your fuse board. Switch the electrics off at the consumer unit before going near wet areas, and never operate a switch while standing in water. If the fuse board itself is wet, do not touch it. Stay clear and call a qualified electrician to make it safe.
Common signs include a sudden drop in water pressure, damp patches or stains on walls and ceilings, a warm or wet area of floor, and the sound of running water when all the taps are off. A water meter that keeps moving with nothing in use, or an unexplained rise in your bill, can also point to a hidden leak.
Opening walls or floors at random rarely finds the leak and usually creates more damage to repair. Specialists use non-invasive tools such as thermal imaging and acoustic listening equipment to pinpoint the source first. That means the repair can be targeted to a small area, keeping disruption and cost down.
Many buildings policies cover the damage caused by escaping water as standard, and it is one of the most frequent claims in the UK. Cover usually applies to the damage rather than the pipe repair itself, and exclusions can vary. Photograph everything before clearing up and check your own policy wording with your insurer.
Got a leak you cannot find?
Once the water is off, the next step is finding the burst without tearing your home apart. Our Devon team locates hidden leaks accurately and helps you get them repaired with the least possible disruption.