Is my leak an emergency?

Guidance only. An engineer on site confirms it.

1. Is water reaching a light fitting, a socket, an appliance or the consumer unit?
2. Is water still escaping after you have closed the stop tap?
3. Is the water spreading to another room, another floor or a neighbouring property?
4. Can you contain what is escaping with a bowl, towels or a bucket so it is not spreading?

Answer all four questions to see the verdict.

Can you smell gas? Leave doors and windows open, stay away from switches and naked flames, take everybody outdoors and ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Make that call before any other.

Is water running close to electrics, or is a pipe flooding the property? Turn off the water at the stop tap. When the consumer unit can be reached without wading through water, cut the electricity there. Stay away from wet sockets and light fittings.

On this page

The four questions and what each one checks

The checker asks the same four questions an engineer would ask on the phone, in the order of risk. Answer each with yes or no. The verdict appears when all four are answered, and it changes if you change an answer.

Each question tests one thing that decides whether a leak can safely be left. The table shows what each one is checking and what the answer means.

QuestionWhat it checksAnswer that means call now
Is water reaching a light fitting, a socket, an appliance or the consumer unit?The one hazard that can hurt you, which is water meeting mains powerYes
Is water still escaping after you have closed the stop tap?Whether the leak is on the supply you have shut off, or from somewhere elseYes
Is the water spreading to another room, another floor or a neighbouring property?Whether the damage is growing beyond where it startedYes
Can you contain what is escaping with a bowl, towels or a bucket?Whether what is left can be held until morningNo

What the verdict means and what to do next

Call now means any one of those answers points to a leak that cannot safely be left. That is a yes to the first three, or a no to the fourth. The checker tells you to close the stop tap if you can reach it safely, keep clear of anything wet and electrical and ask for an engineer to attend now. The first hour of a burst pipe sets out the steps in order while you wait.

Can wait until morning means the water is contained and has stopped with the stop tap closed, and nothing electrical is wet. Leave the stop tap closed, keep the containers emptied, photograph the damage and ask for a visit in the morning. Check the damp patch and the container before you go to bed. If either has changed, answer again. The page on whether a leak can wait until morning gives the full reasoning.

Either way the checker links to the enquiry form. The leak photo checklist lists what to take first.

What the checker cannot tell you

It does not know where the water is coming from, how much has already gone into a wall or a floor, or whether a ceiling is about to fail. It relies on what you can see, and much of what matters in a leak is hidden. A leak that can wait until morning is still a leak, and hidden damage can continue while it waits.

It cannot judge a situation your answers do not describe. If you have a bulging ceiling, a floor that feels soft, a burning smell or sparks from a fitting, treat it as an emergency whatever the verdict says. The page on keeping a leaking room safe covers those cases.

It never replaces your judgement or the emergency services.

Safety comes before the verdict

Beside the checker sit two safety lines, and either one outranks the verdict. Smelling gas means opening doors and windows, staying away from switches and naked flames, taking everybody outdoors and phoning the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. That call precedes any water problem and this tool as well.

Where water is running close to electrics, or a pipe is flooding the property, close the stop tap first. Cut the power at the consumer unit only if you can get to it without wading through water. Stay away from wet sockets and light fittings, and if neither step is safe, leave the area and ring for help.

What an attended visit costs

If the verdict is call now, the price is set before anyone attends. Emergency attendance is from £220 an hour, stated when you book. A fixed hourly rate quoted before we attend and never exceeded, and no call-out fee and no travel charge: the rate starts when work starts. No VAT is charged. See the pricing page for the other rates.

Sources and method

  • Plain safety practiceThe four questions follow the usual order of risk: electrics first, then whether the water can be stopped, whether it is spreading and whether it can be contained.
  • National Gas Emergency ServiceThe gas safety line uses the published emergency number, which is the only phone number this site carries.

Questions customers ask

Is the verdict a diagnosis?

No. It is guidance based on four answers and it cannot see inside your pipework. It says whether the leak can safely be left, not what is wrong or where it is.

What should I do if there is a gas smell as well as water?

Get out of the property, avoid switches and flames and phone the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. This checker deals with water alone, so a smell of gas takes priority.

What if the checker says it can wait but I am worried?

Trust your judgement. Ring and describe what you see. If something feels wrong, such as a sound, a smell or damp that is growing, treat it as an emergency.

What does an attended visit cost?

Emergency leak detection is from £220 an hour, and no call-out fee and no travel charge: the rate starts when work starts. No VAT is charged. The rate is stated when you book.

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