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Shut off the water at the stopcock — turn it clockwise — then open the cold taps to drain what's left in the pipework, and switch off any electrics near the leak if you can reach the switch without standing in water. Those three moves limit the damage more than anything that happens afterwards. Once the flow has stopped, call the number on this page and you'll be connected with a local plumber covering Enniskillen and the surrounding Fermanagh Lakelands.
A brown stain is spreading across the kitchen ceiling, and now it has started to drip.
Stopcock first, always — nothing else you do matters while water is still feeding the leak. If the drip is anywhere near a light fitting, leave that light switch alone and turn the circuit off at the consumer unit instead, provided you can get to it dry. If the ceiling is bulging, put a bucket underneath and let a plumber decide whether it needs relieving — a bulge holding litres of water can come down all at once. Then make the call, and say the words "coming through the ceiling" so whoever answers knows this isn't a job for tomorrow.
A hard frost, a tap that would only trickle at breakfast — and then the thaw arrives and water starts appearing where it shouldn't.
Pipes in unheated lofts, garages and exposed runs freeze first, and Fermanagh's damp winter cold finds them reliably. If a pipe is frozen but still intact, open the affected tap and warm the pipe gently — a hairdryer on low, or towels soaked in warm water, starting at the tap end and working back. Never a naked flame. But if you can see a split, or water is already escaping, don't thaw anything: turn the stopcock off, open the cold taps, and call. Thawing a split pipe that's still under mains pressure just turns a frozen problem into a flood.
The house itself is dry, but there's a soggy patch in the garden that never dries out, or a faint hiss in the pipes when every tap is off.
Where the leak sits decides who fixes it. Anything inside the property is squarely a plumber's job. The supply pipe between the house and your boundary is, as general guidance, usually the property owner's responsibility too — and on rural properties outside villages like Tempo, Derrygonnelly or Belleek, where the home may sit at the end of a long supply run from the road, that buried stretch can hide a leak for weeks. Beyond the boundary, out in the road, it's usually the water utility's side rather than something a private plumber can dig up. If you're not sure which side of the line you're on, describe what you're seeing when you call and let the plumber help you work it out.
The water is off, the immediate panic is over, and now there's a wet room and a wait.
Move furniture and anything electrical away from the wet area, get towels down, and photograph the damage before you tidy too much — your insurer will want to see it. Leave the stopcock off, even if the dripping seems to stop. If the leak was on heating pipework, or your boiler's pressure gauge has visibly dropped, switch the heating off until it's been checked. And if you're well outside Enniskillen town, expect an honest arrival estimate on the phone rather than a promised number of minutes — distance is real here, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.
Shut off the water at the stopcock by turning it clockwise, then open the cold taps to drain the remaining water out of the pipework. Switch off any electrics near the leak only if you can reach the switch without standing in water, and then call a plumber. Don't wait to see whether it settles down.
In most homes it's under the kitchen sink or close to where the water supply enters the property — a hallway cupboard, utility room or garage. In some older or rural properties it can be outside near the boundary. If it's seized, use steady pressure with a cloth for grip rather than forcing it; a plumber can free a stuck stopcock quickly.
Open the affected tap, then warm the pipe gently with a hairdryer on a low setting or towels soaked in warm water, starting at the tap end and working back towards the blockage. Never use a naked flame or blowtorch. If the pipe has already split, turn off the stopcock and call a plumber instead of thawing it under pressure.
As general guidance, the supply pipe between your property and the boundary is usually the property owner's responsibility, and a plumber can repair it. A leak on the mains in the street beyond your boundary is usually the water utility's side, and a private plumber can't dig up the road to fix it. If you're not sure which side the leak is on, describe what you're seeing when you call.
If the leak is on heating pipework, or your boiler's pressure gauge has dropped noticeably, it's sensible to switch the heating off until a plumber has looked at it. Running a sealed heating system that's losing water can cause further problems, so mention the pressure reading when you call.
The main page — coverage, what to expect when you call, and stopcock basics.
Pressure, lockouts, no hot water — and what to do if you smell gas.
Gurgling plugholes, backed-up sinks and when it's the main drain.
How pricing usually works and what to ask before work starts.
This site connects callers with a local plumbing professional covering Enniskillen and the surrounding Fermanagh Lakelands. Shut the stopcock, then call.
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