Water where it shouldn't be? Turn the stopcock. Then call us.

Burst pipe? The first five minutes matter most

1. Turn off the stopcock: Usually under the kitchen sink. Turn it fully clockwise. This stops the water feeding the leak.
2. Open the cold taps: Run the cold taps to drain the pipework and take pressure off the burst.
3. Keep clear of electrics: Keep clear of wet electrical equipment. Switch off the electricity only if the consumer unit is dry and safely accessible; never touch it while standing in water. If it is not safe, leave the affected area and call for urgent help.
4. Soak up and move valuables: Towels down, furniture and carpets lifted where you can. Every litre you move now is damage you don't pay for later.
5. Call us — day or night: 07825 930939. Tell us it's a burst pipe and we'll talk you through anything else while we're on the way.

Don't use hot taps or the boiler: Leave the heating off until we've isolated the problem — running hot water can feed the leak from the cylinder side.

The three winter killers

These are the calls we get in a cold snap — and all three get worse the longer they're left.

• Burst pipes: Water expands when it freezes and splits the pipe — then thaws into your ceiling. We isolate, repair, and pressure-test the run so you're not back to square one next frost.
• Frozen pipes & tanks: No water from a tap on a cold morning usually means a frozen pipe — often in the loft. Thawing it wrong can burst it. We thaw safely and lag it properly so it doesn't repeat.
• Frozen condensate → boiler lockout: The classic winter boiler failure: the plastic condensate pipe outside freezes, the boiler locks out and shows a fault code. We thaw, refit and insulate the run so it stays clear.

Emergency pricing — no hidden callout

Both emergency rates include travel and the first hour on site. Parts, materials and labour beyond the first hour are quoted and agreed before proceeding. Eligible phone-booked emergencies within 30 miles of Norwich are covered by our 2-hour arrival guarantee — the exact wording is in our terms. Not an emergency? Booked 48+ hours ahead it's a £90 callout with the first hour included.

The 10-minute winter check

• Lag the exposed pipes: Loft runs, the condensate pipe outside, anything on an outside wall. Foam lagging costs a few pounds and prevents the most expensive calls.
• Know where your stopcock is: And check it actually turns. A seized stopcock discovered mid-burst costs you a flooded floor. Exercise it twice a year.
• Service the boiler before winter: Boilers fail on the first really cold night — they've been resting all summer. A service finds the failing parts before the frost does.
• Leave heating on low when away: If you're away over Christmas, keep the heating ticking over on low and open loft hatches slightly to let warm air circulate the pipes.
• Fix drips before they freeze: A slow drip in an unheated space is a frozen pipe waiting to happen — small jobs now, cheap. Big jobs in December, not.
• Save our number now: 07825 930939. When you need an emergency plumber you don't want to be searching — you want to be calling.

Burst pipe right now? Call, don't type.

07825 930939 — we answer 24/7. WhatsApp works too, but for an active leak the phone is faster.