1. Turn off the water
Turn the stopcock clockwise until it stops. In most Irish homes it's under the kitchen sink. If you can't find it, the outside water meter box at the footpath has a shut-off too. Our guide to finding your stopcock shows the other usual spots.
2. Make the electrics safe
If water is near sockets, lights or the fuse board, switch off the main switch at the fuse board. Don't touch anything electrical while standing in water, and don't use lights in a room where water is coming through the ceiling.
3. Drain the system
Open the cold taps to empty the pipes. If the leak is from the hot side, switch off the boiler and immersion and open the hot taps. Flush the toilets to empty the cisterns.
4. Protect the house
Put buckets under drips and move furniture, rugs and valuables. If a ceiling is bulging, it is holding water. A small hole at the lowest point, with a bucket underneath, lets it drain in a controlled way and can stop the ceiling coming down. Stand to one side when you do it.
5. Take photos and call us
Photograph the damage and the leak for your insurer before you clean up, then ring our 24/7 line. We'll repair the pipe and give you a written report for the claim.
If the pipe is frozen
Frozen pipes split when the ice thaws, so a pipe that has stopped running in a cold snap needs care.
- Turn off the stopcock before the pipe thaws
- Thaw it slowly with a hairdryer on a low setting or a hot water bottle, starting at the tap end
- Never use a blowtorch or naked flame
- Open the tap so water and steam can escape as it thaws
- Watch the pipe as it warms up, and call us if you see it weeping
If it's the attic tank or hot water cylinder
A leaking cold water tank in the attic keeps refilling from the mains, so turn off the stopcock first. If the hot water cylinder is leaking, also switch off the immersion and the boiler, then open the hot taps to drain it. Don't open the drain cock on the cylinder unless you know where the water will go.
How to stop it happening again
Most burst pipes in Dublin happen in the first hard frost of the winter.
- Lag pipes and tanks in the attic, garage and any outside walls
- Leave the heating on low during a cold snap, even if you're away
- Fix dripping overflows, which can freeze and block
- Make sure everyone in the house knows where the stopcock is and that it turns