Emergency Leak Repair

Can you temporarily fix a water leak before a plumber arrives?

We wouldn’t recommend trying to temporarily fix a water leak before a plumber arrives. Below are some suggestions of what to do before a plumber arrives.

The first thing to do is try to find the stop tap in your property and turn this off. Your stop tap is usually located under your kitchen sink. We always advise customers to be aware of where their stop tap is located in their property just in case you have a leak.

If the burst is coming from the cold water main to your property then this will stop the flow of water. 

Bathroom Leaks

For leaks that seem to be coming from your bathroom and through a ceiling below, this is often caused by poor sealant and grout or a connection underneath your bath or shower failing. 

The best thing to do is cease using your shower or bath until a plumber has attended. If it is leaking through your ceiling turn off the stop tap first. It is likely that the water will stop once you’re no longer using the bathroom.

Toilet leaks are also common and if you are able to you can isolate the toilet yourself. The mains stop tap should also work to stop the leak.

Boiler Leaks

If the leak is on your boiler then place a tub or bucket under your boiler to avoid causing any damage to work surfaces below. 

You should then call out a Gas Safe heating engineer to investigate the cause of the leak. This could be a failed part inside the boiler or something like your filling loop leaking. In all cases we will be able to investigate this and carry out a repair.

Heating Leaks

For central heating and radiator leaks how long the water will flow for will depend on the type of heating system that you have. For systems with a combi boiler the leak will stop as soon as the pressure has dropped in your heating system. For conventional type systems the leak will continue until the tank has emptied.

If you have a small radiator leak around the valve you can wrap a towel around this until a heating engineer can attend to fix it for you.

It is a case of using common sense to avoid causing any further damage in your property.

Who do I contact about a water leak?

If you have a water leak, please call Lacey Plumbing & Heating for reliable, emergency plumbing assistance.

You can contact our expert team, and we will provide a quick same day service across areas in and around Manchester.

How much does it cost to fix a leakage?

Typically, you will pay our one-off aim to fix charge for an emergency call out. This is our standard one hour charge of £96.00 including VAT. 

If you require parts for the repair, this will be an additional charge. Our engineers will advise you what is required and if it is a significant cost we will provide you with a fixed cost quotation before continuing with the work.

In some circumstances we can provide you with advice on how to access your home insurance when you have a leak that needs a repair and causes damage. 

However, 90% of emergency jobs are fixed within the one hour standard charge.

What areas do you cover for emergency leak repairs?

At Lacey Plumbing & Heating, we cover emergency repairs across the North West, including:

• Manchester
• Bury
• Bolton
• Radcliffe
• Rochdale

… and more.

How to protect your home against leaks

Whether you have experienced a huge leak, or a smaller unnoticable one, the damage can be extensive. 

Here’s our top tips for protecting your home against future leaks.

• Check your hoses and taps regularly: Checking hoses to washing machines, dishwashers and fridges every so often is a great way to prevent leaks and potentially spot one early. 
• Check your shower and bath: Ensure the sealant around your shower and bath are watertight. If you notice any cracking, you should replace it. Also check that your grout on tiles isn’t cracked or damaged. Both of these are a common cause of leaks to showers and baths. 
• Check your radiator pipes and valves: Every so often, you should be checking your radiator pipes to ensure they are in working order, especially if you haven’t turned them on in a while.  If you have a combination boiler and you start to see a regular drop in pressure then this can be a sign that you have a leak somewhere on your system. 
• Know how/where to shut off your water mains: If a pipe suddenly bursts at home, it’s important you know where and how to shut off your water to prevent further damage. Your stop tap is usually located under your kitchen sink. Ensure that it works properly and if not, we can renew this for you. 
• Have your boiler serviced annually: our heating engineers can check your boiler for any signs of potential leaks whilst carrying out an annual service.

There are lots of different scenarios and outcomes for leaks and bursts in your home. Please get in touch with our team and we can talk you through the best way forward to repair your leak and also how to deal with any resulting damage.