Skip to content
Northline Plumbing & Gas

A burst pipe at 2am: the four things to do before the plumber arrives

Turn off the mains, cut the geyser, open the taps, move the electronics. Two minutes of reading now saves you a ceiling later.

by Northline team

Water damage is measured in minutes. Before you phone anyone, do these four things in order.

1. Find and close the mains stopcock

Usually at the water meter on the pavement, or where the pipe enters the house. Turn it clockwise until it stops. If you do not know where yours is, find it this weekend, not at 2am.

2. Switch off the geyser at the DB board

With the mains off the geyser will start to drain, and a heating element running dry will burn out. Flip the geyser breaker.

3. Open the lowest tap in the house

This drains the pipes and takes the pressure off the burst.

4. Move anything electrical off the floor

Then phone us. The number is at the top of every page.

Rather have us look at it?

Send a photo on WhatsApp or phone the office. Diagnosis is honest and the quote is fixed.

24/7 emergency line, answered by a plumber