Leaks and burst pipes in Epping Forest and Harlow

Water is pouring out. What comes first?

Shut off the supply. The main stopcock in most homes sits below the kitchen sink, though in older houses it can be under the stairs, in a cellar or behind a panel in a cupboard. Turning it clockwise closes it. Once it is shut, run the cold taps on the lowest floor to empty what is left in the pipes.

If the leak is on the hot side, turn off the boiler or the immersion heater too, so nothing heats an empty tank or coil. A stopcock that will not budge is common in homes where it has not been touched for years. Do not lean on it with a wrench, because snapping the spindle makes matters worse.

Is it safe to stay in the room?

Treat any water near electrics as dangerous. Keep away from wet sockets, light fittings and appliances. If you can get to the fuse box without crossing wet ground, switch the main switch off. If you cannot, leave it.

A ceiling that bulges with water can give way without much warning, so close the door on that room and keep children and pets out. Call 999 if someone is hurt or in danger.

If you smell gas at any point, get everyone outside, avoid light switches and flames, and phone the gas emergency line, 0800 111 999. Gas pipes and appliances are a job for someone listed on the Gas Safe Register, never a plumber who is not.

Where might a slow leak be hiding?

Plenty of leaks never spray anywhere. They show up as:

• a ring or tide mark on a ceiling below a bathroom
• skirting boards or flooring that swell, lift or smell musty
• a hissing sound in a wall when nothing is running
• a boiler that keeps losing pressure, which can point to a leak on the heating pipes
• grass that stays wet along the same line in a dry spell

A water meter is a handy test. With every tap and appliance off, note the figures, leave everything off for an hour and look once more. If the numbers have crept up, water is escaping somewhere.

Is the leak my pipe or the water company's?

In England the water company generally owns the pipe from the main in the road up to your property boundary, often marked by a stop tap in the pavement. The length from there into your home, called the supply pipe, usually belongs to the owner. Where one pipe feeds several houses, as in some older terraces, the owners it serves normally share it.

Water bubbling up through a road or footpath is the water company's to deal with, so tell them. Your water bill shows who that is, and their website explains how they split pipe responsibility.

Why do pipes fail?

• Frost: water expands as it freezes and can split copper or plastic, often in lofts, garages and outside walls
• Age: copper thins over the decades and can develop pinholes
• Movement: loose clips let pipes rub against joists or rattle
• Damage: a nail, screw or drill bit through a hidden pipe during other work
• Pressure: a faulty valve or very high mains pressure straining joints and hoses

A pipe that froze may not leak until it thaws. Warm it gently with towels soaked in hot water or a hairdryer on low, never a flame, and keep watching.

Who deals with the damage afterwards?

A plumber stops the water and repairs the pipe. Drying out, new plaster, new flooring and redecoration are usually separate trades. Wet ceilings and floors need time to dry before they are covered.

If you plan to claim on home insurance, ring the insurer early, photograph everything before it is cleared and keep the damaged section of pipe if you can. The insurer will tell you what evidence it wants.

What details help a plumber?

• the postcode, which tells us whether any local plumber works there
• where the water is appearing and whether you have shut it off
• whether it seems to be cold water, hot water or heating
• the type of home: house, bungalow, maisonette or flat
• any damage so far, and whether water has reached electrics
• for a flat, whether the water may be coming from the flat above

Can I use this in an emergency?

No. While water is still escaping, close the stopcock, keep clear of electrics and dial 999 if a person is at risk. Send the enquiry once the flow has stopped.