Emergency water pipe repair

Why water pipes fail

The water pipes in your home are under pressure day and night. As long as everything is intact, you don't notice a thing. But as soon as a weak spot develops somewhere, the water will find it, and then things can happen fast. That's why every water pipe repair starts with one question: why did the pipe give way in that particular spot?

Frost and frozen pipes

Water expands when it freezes. In a pipe that runs through a cold crawl space, an unheated garage or along an outside wall, the ice can split the pipe. Often you only notice once the thaw sets in: the ice melts, the pressure comes back and water sprays out of the crack. So it's always worth having a frozen pipe checked, even if nothing looks wrong at first glance.

Ageing copper and lead

Copper pipes last a long time, but not for ever. They can corrode on the inside, and small leaks eventually develop at soldered joints and bends.

Homes built before around 1960 may still have lead pipes. These are soft, bend easily and split if they're moved the wrong way. Replacing them is also recommended, because lead can get into the drinking water.

A drill, a nail or a joint that has worked loose

A classic case is the hole drilled to put up a cupboard or hang a picture, which goes straight through the pipe in the wall. Compression fittings can also work loose over time, for example because of water hammer. That's the bang you hear in the pipes when a tap or the washing machine suddenly shuts off the water. And the flexible hoses to taps, the toilet and the washing machine age without anyone noticing, until one day one of them bursts.

How to tell if your water pipe is leaking

With a burst water pipe there's little doubt: water is spraying or pouring into the room. A smaller leak is harder to spot. Look out for a wet patch on the wall where a pipe runs, drips or green deposits at a joint, water pressure dropping at every tap at once, or a water meter that keeps running while nobody is using any water.

Don't confuse a leak like that with condensation. A cold pipe can start to sweat in a humid room, especially in summer. In that case the droplets cover the whole length of the pipe and disappear as the room dries out. If the water is concentrated in one spot, or the pipe stays wet, you probably do have a leak.

If there's water in the cupboard under the kitchen sink, check the trap as well; that's part of the drain, not the water supply. A trap that has repeatedly been dosed with harsh drain cleaner will start leaking sooner: these products get hot and attack plastic and rubber, which is why we advise against them. If you don't know where the water is coming from, we can first track down the leak with detection equipment.

Burst water pipe: do this first

With a burst pipe, every minute counts. Stay calm and work through this list:

1. Turn off the main stopcock. It's usually next to the water meter in the meter cupboard; turn it clockwise as far as it will go.
2. Open a tap at the lowest point in the house, so the pipes drain and the pressure drops.
3. Switch off the circuit for any area where water is reaching sockets, lights or appliances.
4. Catch the water with buckets and towels, and move valuables out of the way.
5. Call us and tell us what has happened.

What's best left to the plumber

Tape or a hose clip around a leak can hold the water back for a while, but under pressure it rarely lasts long. Don't start soldering or using a blowtorch yourself either: in a crawl space or behind boxing-in, the risk of fire is real.

You can safely thaw a frozen pipe with a hairdryer or warm cloths, starting at the tap end. If you see water leaking while you do so, shut off the water and call us. If you can't close the stopcock, or the stopcock itself is leaking, call straight away and let us know.

How we handle a water pipe repair

On arrival, the plumber first checks that the water is properly shut off and that there's no danger from water near the electrics. Next comes the assessment: where is the leak, what is the pipe made of, and are there more weak spots nearby?

The damaged section is usually cut out and replaced with a new length of pipe. Depending on the situation, the plumber joins it using compression or press fittings, or solders it in. If the pipe is buried deep in a wall, it's sometimes smarter to run a new section along a different route than to break the wall wide open. With a lead pipe, the damaged part is replaced with copper or plastic, and the plumber will tell you whether it makes sense to tackle the rest as well.

Testing before the plumber leaves

After the repair, the water is turned back on slowly. The plumber checks every new joint for leaks, bleeds the air out of the pipes through the taps and makes sure the water pressure is right everywhere. That way you know the water pipe repair has worked before any tiles or boxing-in go back over it.

Limiting water damage and dealing with your insurer

A burst water pipe can release a lot of water in a short time. In an upstairs flat or a block of flats, it soon finds its way down to the neighbours below. Warn them straight away, even if you think it isn't too bad, and if you live in a flat, report it to the owners' association (VvE) or the property manager as well. Put wet furniture up on blocks and ventilate well so the floor and walls can dry out.

Photograph the damage before you clear up, and ask the plumber to leave the broken parts behind. Your insurer will often ask about the cause, and the plumber's explanation will help with your claim. Exactly what is covered differs from policy to policy, so contact your insurer before you have any major repair work done on floors or walls.

Costs and emergency help at night or in a frost

A simple water pipe repair costs from €89. The call-out charge isn't included. Before anyone drives out to you, we give you a price estimate over the phone, so you know roughly what to expect. If a longer section of pipe needs replacing, or you'd like to have all your old lead pipes replaced in one go, ask for a quote.

Pipes have a habit of bursting at awkward moments, for example on the first night of a thaw after a cold spell. That's why we're available 24/7, including weekends and public holidays. For help in the evening, at night and at weekends we charge an out-of-hours rate, and we'll tell you about that up front too.

Protecting pipes against frost and wear

A few simple measures greatly reduce the chance of another emergency call-out:

• Insulate pipes in the crawl space, garage, shed and loft with pipe lagging.
• Before winter, close the indoor isolation valve for the outside tap and let the tap drain.
• In a hard frost, don't let the heating drop too low, even if you're away for a few days.
• Turn the main stopcock off and on again a few times a year so it doesn't stiffen up.
• Replace the flexible hoses to taps and the washing machine if they're stiff, discoloured or kinked.

If water is leaking from a tap or from the connection underneath it, replacing the tap is sometimes the best solution.

Where we work

When a water pipe gives way, Spoed Loodgieter Breeman can help in places such as Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Amersfoort and Enschede, and anywhere else in the Netherlands. You can read about the pipework in many more cities on our service area page.

Is water spraying from a pipe right now? Shut off the water and call 085 115 0249.