If a leak happens in your home, you need to control it until help arrives.
You can normally do this by turning the water off using the gate valve or stopcock.
Make sure you know where your stopcock or gate valve is. Stopcocks are usually under the kitchen sink, and gate valves are on the pipes coming from the cold-water storage tank.
To make sure gate valves and stopcocks work, test them twice a year by turning them until fully closed and then opening them again.
Remember, if you turn the supply from the tank off, you may need to turn your heating off. If you aren’t sure, ask when you report the leak.
If electric sockets, light fittings or electrical appliances are getting wet, do not touch them. Turn the supply off at the consumer unit and call us for help.
If your ceiling is bulging as a result of a leak, put a large bowl or bucket under the bulge and use a sharp tool such as a screwdriver to pierce a hole to let the water through. This will prevent your ceiling from falling down.
Do not do this if the bulge is near a light fitting.