In the event of water damage, you should act quickly. Keep these tips in mind to minimise the damage if a water leak should catch you by surprise.

1. First, close the main lock

Once a year, check that the stopcock is working. Also tell other family members where the main entrance to the house is located. The main shut-off is located at the water meter, usually in the same room as the other building services controls.

2. Localised leakage point

Localized and support leakage point. A few IKEA towels can pay for themselves many times over if you can stop the leak.

3. Call the plumber on duty

You should check the phone number of the nearest plumber on call in advance. Write your contact details next to the main sign, for example, so you can find the phone number when you need it most.

The best way to avoid water damage is to be proactive about the condition of your pipes. Studies show that the average age of water damage from a single-family home’s plumbing is 28 years.

The condition of the domestic hot water and heating network should be checked every 25 years.

A drain condition survey is timely for a cast iron pipeline that is more than 30 years old.

You can subscribe to a free plumbing survey or sewer mapping .