What do I do if a pipe bursts?
Shut off the water at the stopcock immediately if you can reach it safely, then call a plumber and say it's urgent — a burst pipe is treated as an emergency call-out, not a routine booking. If water is near any sockets, switches or the fuse board, don't touch them; isolate the electrics at the consumer unit instead if it's safe to do so.
Knowing where your stopcock is before you need it saves the minutes that matter most — it's usually under the kitchen sink, near the water meter, or in a utility room.
Once the water's off, move anything valuable away from the leak and use towels or buckets to limit damage while you wait, but don't attempt to repair the pipe yourself.
Photograph the damage once it's safe to do so — most home insurance policies want this for a water-damage claim.
What to check
- Where your stopcock is, before anything goes wrong — check it today if you don't know
- Whether water is still rising or has stopped once the stopcock is off
- Whether any electrical sockets, switches or the fuse board are affected
- Photos of the damage for an insurance claim
When to call a pro
Immediately — don't wait to see if it stops on its own.
Sources
- Irish Trade Price Book v1, 17 August 2026, §2 (call-out fee context)
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