Emergency Plumbing in Wandsworth, London

Shut off the main stopcock, which is usually under the kitchen sink or near the front door, and switch off the immersion heater. Open the cold taps to drain the pipework, move valuables and electrical items away from the wet area, and if water is near a light fitting or socket, turn off the electricity at the consumer unit if you can do so safely. Then ring 07727 932887 and we match you with a partner company.

Prices vary a lot with the job and the hour. Published 2026 London guides put a standard call-out at roughly £40 to £100, while evening and overnight boiler and plumbing visits are listed higher, at roughly £120 to £350 before parts. One SW18 competitor advertises a flat £60 call-out. The partner company gives its own price in writing before starting, and we never promise a figure on the phone.

You pay the partner company directly. The partner is an independent local business that quotes, invoices and takes payment itself, and we handle no payment or invoices. We take your call, match you to a partner, text you their details and chase the job if something goes wrong. That separation is set out in our terms.

Usually yes. A seized stopcock can often be freed and re-greased, and if it has failed completely it can be replaced, though that means shutting off the water supply at the street or the neighbour's valve first. Many older terraces share a supply arrangement or have the stopcock hidden, so the partner company will locate it first. Fitting isolation valves at the same visit is cheap and prevents the next emergency from becoming a flood.

It depends on where the leak starts. A leak from the flat above is generally a matter for that flat's owner and their cover, while a leak from a shared stack, a communal pipe or the roof usually falls to the freeholder or managing agent. The partner company can find the source, but you should tell the neighbour and the managing agent quickly, photograph the damage, and keep every receipt.

Yes, the line is open at all hours. A blocked toilet can be a simple local blockage cleared with a plunger or rods, or it can be a sign of a blocked drain further along, which is a larger job. The partner company clears what is in the property and will tell you if the blockage is in a shared or public sewer, in which case Thames Water may be responsible rather than you.

The borough's flood investigation grouped storm incidents in the Putney, Earlsfield and Clapham Common catchments, where sewers were likely overwhelmed by surface water. When the public sewer fills, waste can back up into low-lying gullies, toilets and ground-floor drains. If that happens, a plumber can clear and check the property side, but the sewer itself belongs to Thames Water, so report it to them as well.

If the leak is on a cold supply that is shut off, you can usually use the rest of the house after the stopcock is back on, but if it is on a heating or hot water circuit, switch off the boiler and immersion heater before running taps. Never use electrical appliances near standing water. If you smell gas at any point, leave the property and call 0800 111 999 before anything else.

Homes built before about 1970 can still have lead supply pipes, which Victorian terraces in Wandsworth often did originally. The pipe from the street to your boundary belongs to Thames Water, and if you replace your private side, Thames Water replaces its side free of charge. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 ban lead in new work, so any replacement is in copper or plastic.

It depends on which partner company is free and where it is, so we do not promise a fixed time on the phone. Putney is roughly two miles from our base area, Southfields about two and Earlsfield just over a mile, so the nearest partner is usually close. We ring you back with a name and a window, and we are honest when a busy cold morning means a longer wait.

Shutting off the stopcock, draining the pipes by opening cold taps, isolating an appliance with its own valve and placing buckets and towels are all safe and useful. Do not attempt to cut into pipes, work near water and electrics or force a seized valve with tools, because that often turns a small leak into a large one. Leave the repair to the partner company.

Water leaks from the heating system, such as a leaking radiator valve or boiler connection, count as emergency plumbing and we treat them as urgent. A boiler that has simply stopped heating is covered under emergency boiler repair, which uses the same line and the same process. If you are not sure which it is, ring 07727 932887 and describe what you see, and we will match the right partner.