What should you do in the first five minutes after a pipe bursts? Act fast, and you can turn a flood into a minor repair. Wait, and a small leak becomes a soaked ceiling or a ruined floor.

Find Your Stopcock Before You Need It

Every home has a stopcock. It is usually under the kitchen sink, in a downstairs cupboard, or near the water meter. Find yours today, not during an emergency. Turn it clockwise to shut off the water supply to your whole property.

If you live in a flat, you may also have a shared stopcock for the building. Ask your landlord or management company where it is. Write the location down somewhere you will remember.

The First Five Minutes

  1. **Shut off the water.** Turn the stopcock clockwise until it stops. This cuts the supply feeding the burst pipe.
  2. **Turn off electrics near the leak.** Water and electricity do not mix. If water is near a socket or a light fitting, switch off that circuit at the fuse box.
  3. **Open your taps.** Once the stopcock is off, open cold taps around the house. This drains water already in the pipes and reduces pressure.
  4. **Move valuables away from the water.** Lift rugs, electronics, and furniture clear of the affected area if it is safe to do so.
  5. **Contain what you can.** Towels, buckets, and a mop will not fix a burst pipe, but they limit damage while you wait for help.

What Causes Pipes to Burst

Cold weather is the most common cause across Newcastle upon Tyne and Tyne & Wear. Water expands as it freezes. That expansion puts pressure on pipe walls, and a weak section can split. Older properties are especially at risk. Many pre-1970 homes still have original lead or early copper pipework, which becomes brittle with age.

High water pressure is another cause. A pressure-reducing valve that has failed can push more force through your pipes than they were built to handle. Corrosion plays a role too, particularly in coastal areas such as Whitley Bay and Tynemouth, where salt air speeds up wear on external fittings.

Should You Try a Temporary Fix?

A pipe repair clamp or waterproof tape can slow a small leak. However, this is a stopgap, not a solution. Water pressure will usually find a way past a temporary fix within hours or days. Furthermore, a clamp does nothing to address why the pipe failed in the first place.

Once the water is off and the area is safe, request an emergency callout online. Our burst pipe repair engineers can identify the cause, carry out a lasting repair, and check nearby pipework for related wear.

Is a Burst Pipe Covered by Insurance?

Many UK home insurance policies cover burst pipe damage, including the cost of finding and fixing the leak in some cases. However, cover varies by insurer and policy. Check your own documents, or call your insurer directly, before assuming a claim will be paid. Keep photos of the damage and any invoices, since insurers usually ask for evidence.

After the Repair

Once your emergency plumber has fixed the burst pipe, a few habits reduce the risk of it happening again:

  • Insulate exposed pipework in lofts, garages, and outbuildings before winter
  • Keep your heating on a low setting during cold snaps, even when you are away
  • Know your stopcock location, and check it turns freely at least once a year
  • Consider a leak detection survey if bursts or leaks keep recurring in the same area

If leaks are a repeat problem rather than a one-off, our leak detection & repair service can find a hidden or slow leak before it becomes a full burst.

We cover Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Shields, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Cramlington and Hexham. Request a quote online any time — we do not charge a call-out fee, and we agree a fixed price before any work begins.

Where to get help

If escaped water is reaching outside drains or the garden, our flooding emergency response service can help, and a damaged underground pipe may need drain excavation and repair. We attend burst pipes across Gateshead and Sunderland.

Emergency plumbing across our coverage area