Emergency plumber when to call immediately?

Checklist: is this an emergency?

• Mains stopcock or meter shut off? Can't do it → emergency.
• Water on the floor / through the ceiling? → emergency, prevent water damage.
• Sewer or toilet overflowing? → emergency, hygiene and damage.
• No hot water or heating in the middle of winter? → often an emergency, especially with children or vulnerable residents.
• Just a dripping tap or slow drain? → simply schedule it, no night-time emergency needed.

What should you do until the plumber arrives?

Turn off the stopcock or water meter. Switch off electricity in wet areas if water reaches sockets. Catch water with towels and buckets. Take photos for insurance. Then call 070 783 0224 — we will come and help in a targeted way.

More about fast help: emergency plumber The Hague. For hidden leaks, first leak detection.

Step-by-step plan for an acute leak

With a leak, every minute counts. With these steps you limit the damage, even before the technician arrives.

1. Turn off the stopcock. It is usually located near the water meter, in the meter cupboard, under the stairs or in the crawl space. Turn clockwise until it stops. Where the tap is located and how to operate it can be found under stopcock and outside tap.
2. Switch off the power in the room where water is running, via the fuse box. If water reaches sockets, lights or appliances, do not touch them.
3. Turn off the central heating boiler if the leak is in the heating system, and leave it off until the technician arrives.
4. Catch the water with buckets, trays and towels. Put furniture and belongings in a dry place.
5. Warn the neighbours if you live in a flat. Water finds its way downwards, and the downstairs neighbours can also suffer damage. With a shared pipe, the owners' association (VvE) or landlord is also a point of contact.
6. Take photos and videos of the damage and the source. This will help later when reporting to the insurance company.
7. Call and describe what you see: where the water is coming from, whether you could turn off the tap and whether water is reaching any electrics.

Emergency or regular appointment?

The question is always: can you stop the problem yourself, and is there a risk of damage or danger? If the answer to the first question is no, or to the second yes, then it's an emergency.

• A leaking trap under the washbasin: put a bucket underneath and do not use the basin. This can usually wait until a normal appointment.
• A leak in a pipe that stops when you turn off the stopcock: the damage is limited, but you are without water. Schedule quickly, but emergency call-out at night is not always necessary.
• Water coming through the ceiling, or a leak that won't stop: call immediately. Also read about damp patches on the ceiling.
• An overflowing toilet or drain: call immediately, because of hygiene and damage. If it is just one blocked toilet, first check blocked toilet.
• No heating in the cold, especially with small children, elderly or ill people at home: often an emergency. What you can check yourself is explained at boiler breakdown: what now.

Can you smell gas? That's not a job for the plumber first. Don't use switches or naked flames, open windows and doors, go outside and call your network operator's emergency line or the emergency number.

What you'd better not do

• Touch electrical appliances or turn the power back on whilst water is present.
• Puncturing a ceiling with a water bulge yourself at a spot where you cannot stand safely underneath.
• Forcing the stopcock with tools if it's stuck. A broken tap makes things worse.
• Disconnect pipes yourself or temporarily tape them up and then turn the water back on fully.
• Throwing away or clearing up damage before you've taken photos of it.

How to prevent an emergency

• Find out now where your stopcock is and turn it off and on once, so that it does not seize up.
• In winter, turn off the outside tap and let it drain. More tips can be found at pipes and freezing.
• Check the hoses of your washing machine and dishwasher occasionally for cracks and leaking connections.
• Have the central heating boiler serviced on time; see central heating boiler maintenance.
• Take small signs seriously, such as a damp patch, a ticking pipe or a drain that is getting slower and slower.

What the technician does on arrival

The technician first ensures the situation is safe and that no more water is entering. Then he locates the source. If it is visible, he repairs the pipe or component immediately if possible, or installs a temporary solution so you have water again. If the leak is hidden in a wall or floor, targeted leak detection is the next step. In case of a blockage, he clears the drain and checks whether there is more going on. You will be told what has been done and what may still need to happen. Help with handling the insurance claim can be found at water damage and insurance, and a more detailed action plan at leak action plan.