Plumbing Emergencies

Leaking hot water cylinder:

1). Turn off (clockwise) the gate valve, if there is one, in the feed pipe from the cold water cistern to the hot water cylinder. Alternatively, turn off the main stopcock and turn on all the taps in the house to drain the system (this will not drain the hot water cylinder but will stop water flowing into it). SW11 Plumbers will identify the main stop-cock.

2). Switch of the immersion heater, if there is one.

3). Switch of the boiler, or put out the boiler fire.

4). Connect a hose to the cylinder drain cock, if there is one (it will be on the supply pipe from the cold water system). Run the other end of the hose into an outside drain. Alternatively, connect the hose to the boiler drain cock (should be on the return pipe near the bottom of the boiler) and direct the other end of the hose to an outside drain.

5). Open up the drain cock with a drain cock key or pliers.

6). Get the hot water cylinder repaired or replaced by a plumber.


You cannot turn off the water:

If you cannot turn off the water from the stopcock, tie up the float arm to stop the system filling, “open up all the taps and flush the toilets. Then from inside the system, insert a court of the correct size, or a carrot, into the inlet of the pipe that has burst is leaking. SW11 Plumbers will stop the water flow. Screw a wood screw partly into the cork to aid removal. Allow the system to refill, restoring water to fittings except those served by the burst pipe. Alternatively, the pipe is made of copper or lead, flatten it with a G cramp or a hammer.