A leak at home, step by step

First, an honest word about timing

I work by appointment, 08:00-16:00, seven days a week. I’m not an emergency service, and I can’t promise to be at your door within the hour. That’s why the steps below come first: with most leaks, you can stop the water yourself in a minute or two.

If you can’t stop it, because the hoofdkraan won’t close or the leak is before it, you need help straight away. See who to call, below.

Close the hoofdkraan

The hoofdkraan (main stop tap) shuts off the water to the whole house. PWN and Waternet both put it next to the water meter, just before or just after it. That is usually in the meterkast (meter cupboard), but it can also be under a hatch by the front or back door, or in a pit in the front garden.

• A lever: turn it a quarter turn, so it sits across the pipe instead of along it.
• A round handle: turn it clockwise until it stops.

Then open a cold tap on the ground floor to let out what’s left in the pipes. If the leak is at one tap, toilet or appliance, the small isolating valve (stopkraantje) under the sink or next to the toilet stops the water to just that point.

Find your hoofdkraan today, before you need it. Old ones can be stiff. If it won’t move with a firm hand, don’t attack it with a wrench, because a broken stop tap makes things worse.

Keep water and electricity apart

If water is dripping near sockets, switches or light fittings, or into the meterkast, don’t touch them. If you can reach the groepenkast (fuse box) from a dry floor, switch off the group for that part of the house, or the main switch. If you can’t reach it safely, keep everyone out of the wet area.

Then limit the damage. Move furniture, rugs and electrical appliances away from the water, and put buckets and towels under the drip. A ceiling that bulges can be holding a lot of water, so keep people out from under it.

Tap water or heating water?

Your home has two separate water systems, and only one of them stops at the hoofdkraan.

• Tap water comes in through the meter. Leaks from supply pipes, taps, toilets, the washing machine or a warmwaterboiler (hot-water cylinder) stop when you close the hoofdkraan. Switch a leaking warmwaterboiler off as well.
• Heating water circulates in a closed circuit between the cv-ketel (boiler) and the radiators or underfloor heating. A leak from a radiator, radiator valve or heating pipe carries on after you close the hoofdkraan, although the amount is limited to what is in the system. Heating water is often dark and can stain.

For a heating leak, switch the cv-ketel off at its switch or plug. At a radiator, close the valves on both sides if you can, and catch the drip. The boiler pressure will drop. Don’t keep topping it up with the vulkraan (filling valve) while it’s still leaking; my guide to boiler pressure and fault codes explains why. If the water is coming from the cv-ketel itself, switch it off, never open the casing, and see boiler repair.

A leak, or condensation?

A wet cold-water pipe isn’t always leaking. PWN’s test: close the hoofdkraan, wait 15 to 30 minutes, then dry the pipe with a cloth. If it gets damp again while the meter stands still, it’s condensation. A leak usually shows only around the joints, while condensation wets the whole pipe, top included.

To check for a leak you can’t see, turn off every tap, the washing machine and the dishwasher, and leave the hoofdkraan open. Then watch the meter for a minute. If the dials or the small wheel keep turning, water is going somewhere.

Photos first, then your insurer

Once the water is off and it’s safe, take photos and a short video before you clear up: where the water came from, the damage, and the room as a whole. Keep the failed part, such as a split hose or a broken fitting, and don’t throw damaged things away until you’ve spoken to your insurer.

The Consumentenbond advises reporting the damage to your insurer before any repair work starts. It also notes that building insurers cover the breaking open needed to reach a leaking pipe. Your building insurance (opstalverzekering) covers the house, your contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) your belongings. What’s covered depends on your policy, so read what it says about slow leaks and wear.

The Verbond van Verzekeraars gave flood victims in 2021 advice that works for any water damage: contact your insurer first, take photos and videos, and be wary of “experts” you didn’t ask for. Don’t sign anything on the spot.

Who to call

• A leak at the water meter or in the street: your drinking-water company. That’s PWN in most of Noord-Holland and Waternet in Amsterdam. Their contact details are on their websites.
• A leak after the meter that you can’t stop: an emergency plumbing service, or your insurer’s helpline if your policy has one. Check your policy documents for the number.
• If you rent: tell your landlord or managing agent straight away. In a flat, if the water comes from above, knock on the neighbour’s door and tell the VvE (owners’ association) or managing agent.
• Water through the top-floor ceiling after heavy rain: that’s most likely the roof, not the pipes, and needs a roofer.

Where I come in

Once the water is off, I can find and repair the leak at the pipe, fitting or fixture it comes from. That’s part of my plumbing work. I don’t carry out specialist leak-detection surveys, so water hidden deep in a floor or wall needs a leak-detection specialist first.

My rate is €114.95 incl. BTW per hour, with no call-out charge. Materials are extra. If leaks keep coming back, read replacing old pipes.

Send me photos on WhatsApp with your postcode, what’s leaking and whether the water is off. If you smell gas at any point, leave the property and call 0800 9009 from outside. If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside and call 112.