There are a few things you need to do if your pipes burst to minimise the damage and speed up the claims process.
1. Shut off the water
Turn off the water at the mains by shutting off the main stopcock. This will stop the flow of water into the house and prevent any more coming into the pipes.
If any electrical sockets are affected, turn off the electrical supply immediately.
2. Contact your insurer
Check your policy documents to see if you’ve got home emergency cover. If you do, ring the emergency line and they will work with you to resolve the problem. Even if you don’t have home emergency cover, it is still a good idea to contact your insurer as they can advise you of the best steps to avoid any further damage. If you’re not sure if you’ve got home emergency cover, please contact us on 0330 0600 632 to find out.
3. Contact a plumbing professional
If you can arrange for a reputable plumber to attend and repair the leak itself, please do so, or if you have a home emergency cover, we could look at arranging this for you. Please note, if the water has caused any resultant water damage, make your home insurer aware straight away and do not get any repairs completed before you contact them.
If water has reached power sockets, call out a certified electrician. Don't use any appliances which have got wet.
4. Document the damage
Check exactly what you need to do to make a claim. This generally involves photographing damage, keeping damaged items until your insurer tells you to dispose of them and keeping receipts for new items or services.
We’ll let you know if you can start making repairs, or whether we’re arranging for a loss adjuster to come and examine the damage in person.
5. Putting things right
Getting your home back to normal after damage from a burst pipe can take a long time. Furniture and fixtures which have been damaged will need to be removed, then walls and floors can take 4-8 weeks to dry out before repair work can begin.
Walls need to dry fully before they can be plastered and redecorated.