What to do if water is leaking through your ceiling

Discovering that water is leaking from your ceiling is every homeowner’s worst nightmare, but with the right precautions and steps taken quickly, you can minimize the damage to your home until a plumber is available to repair the leak.

Firstly, it’s important to correctly identify whether you are experiencing a leak. Of course, if you have water pouring out of your ceiling, or puddles on the floor it is safe to assume you are experiencing a leak. However, if you are noticing dampness, or mold it may be best to call a plumber but that that point no immediate action is required.

If you have identified, you are experiencing a leak follow our Go Assist experts' step-by-step guide

1. Turn the water supply off

If you can pinpoint the source of your leak and you’re able to access the pipes close to the leak, turn off the water close to that source immediately.

However, if you cannot pinpoint the source or access the water pipes near the leak then we advise you should turn off the water for your entire house. To do this you will need to find your water mains valve. You can normally find this downstairs, usually in a kitchen but sometimes next to a downstairs toilet or under the stairs. Once you find this valve, which should look like a small tap – turn it clockwise and it will shut off all the water in your home.

2. Damage control

Now that you’ve stopped water flowing to the leak, it's time to turn your attention to whatever was underneath your leak.

Move and cover up furniture. Try to clean up any access water, and place something underneath where the leak was. It is not unusual for the leak to proceed to drip after the mains have been turned off – so place tarpaulin, a bucket, a saucepan, or even umbrellas underneath the affected area to protect your flooring and walls.

3. Create a small drainage hole

You may find that your ceiling is swelling due to the amount of water that has leaked into your ceiling. If you do find yourself in this situation it is advisable to face it head on to avoid further water damage to a larger portion of your ceiling. Place a large bucket or pan underneath the leak. Place a large screwdriver or nail to make a hole in the affected area of the ceiling. This will give the leak a clear place to drain and prevent a structural collapse of the ceiling.

4. Call a plumber

If you have water leaking from your ceiling, it requires expert attention from a plumber. Unfortunately, you will now have done everything in your power, leak detection is an extremely complicated task that plumbers are trained for, and attempting this yourself could cause further damage to your home and plumbing system.

Local reliable plumbers

At Go Assist we have a network of highly qualified, vetted emergency plumbers available at your convenience, who will aim to get out to you in 4 hours. 

We hope that you have found our advice on what to do when water is leaking through your ceiling helpful. Stop the leak at its source, do everything you can to clean up water to prevent damage, create a drainage hole if necessary and then call an emergency plumber ASAP on 0333 733 5600.