Emergency Plumbing in Wimbledon – What Counts as an Emergency?

Genuine plumbing emergencies

• A burst pipe you can't stop with the stopcock
• Water leaking through ceilings, walls or light fittings
• No water supply at all to the property
• A significant leak in a flat that risks affecting neighbouring properties below
• Sewage backing up into the property

Things that can usually wait

A dripping tap, a slow-draining sink, or a minor leak you've successfully contained are inconvenient but not emergencies. These can generally be booked in for the next available appointment rather than requiring an out-of-hours callout.

Flats and shared buildings

If you're in a flat, a plumbing emergency can affect more than just your own property, particularly leaks that risk coming through the floor to the flat below. In these cases, it's worth notifying your managing agent or freeholder as well as arranging a plumber, since building insurance and access arrangements can come into play.

What to do while you wait

• Shut off the water at the stopcock if the leak can't be controlled another way
• Contain water with towels and buckets to limit damage
• Move valuables and electrical items away from the affected area
• Photograph any damage as it happens for insurance purposes

Understanding out-of-hours costs

Genuine emergencies outside normal working hours are charged at the out-of-hours or Sunday/bank holiday rate rather than the standard daytime rate, but there's no separate emergency call-out fee on top. Full rates are published on our rates page.

Finding your stopcock before you need it

The single most useful thing you can do before an emergency ever happens is to know exactly where your stopcock is and confirm it turns freely. In houses it's usually under the kitchen sink or near the front of the property; in flats it may be in a cupboard, utility area or occasionally a communal riser cupboard shared with neighbours. If you've never tested yours, it's worth doing so on a quiet day rather than discovering it's seized during an actual leak.

Gas-related emergencies

If an emergency involves a suspected gas leak rather than water, the approach is different: turn off the gas supply at the meter if you can do so safely, open windows and doors, avoid switches, sparks or naked flames, leave the property if the smell is strong, and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately. This is separate from arranging a plumbing or heating engineer, and should always be your first call if you suspect a gas leak.

What to tell us when you call

• Whether the property is a house or flat, and which floor if applicable
• Where the water or leak is coming from, as precisely as you can tell
• Whether you've been able to isolate the water supply already
• Whether the leak is affecting a neighbouring property

After the immediate emergency is dealt with

Once a leak or burst has been stopped, it's worth thinking about drying out affected areas properly and checking whether any electrics, sockets or light fittings near the leak need to be checked before use. If the property is insured, photographs taken at the time and a note of when the engineer attended and what was found are useful for any claim, particularly in a flat where the leak may have affected a neighbouring property below.