Need a plumber fast?

What to do before we arrive

Most of the damage from a plumbing emergency happens in the time it takes anyone to get there, and nearly all of it is preventable from inside the house. Do whichever of these applies:

• Burst or leaking pipe — turn the water off at the meter. It is usually at the front boundary; turn the tap clockwise until it stops.
• Leaking hot water system — turn off the cold water supply at the duo valve on the side of the unit, and switch its power or gas off.
• Smell of gas — do not switch anything electrical on or off. Open the doors and windows, get everyone outside, turn the gas off at the meter if you can reach it safely, and call us from outside.
• Overflowing toilet or sewer — stop using every tap, shower, toilet and washing machine in the building. All of it drains through the same blocked line.
• Water anywhere near power — switch that circuit off at the switchboard before you go near it.

What actually counts as an emergency

Worth saying plainly, because calling out a plumber at 2am costs more than calling one at 9am, and some of it can wait.

Call straight away for: water you cannot turn off, no water at all, any smell of gas, sewage inside the building, or no hot water in a house with a baby or someone unwell in it. A dripping tap, a running toilet or a slow drain will all keep until the morning, and they will cost you less if they do.

What to have ready when you call

The address and the nearest cross street, what you can see and hear, whether you have managed to turn the water off, and whether anything is near a power point. If it is a hot water system, the brand and the capacity are usually on a sticker on the front of it. That is enough for us to arrive with the right parts on the van rather than going back for them.