PLUMBING PROBLEM GUIDES

Pipes & Leaks

Leaking pipework, water escaping indoors and pipe noises.

Start with where the water is appearing and whether it is still escaping. Find practical help with visible pipe leaks, limiting damage and deciding who to call.

Find your problem

Condensation on pipesWet pipe surface or escaping water? Understand condensation clues, safe ventilation, persistent dripping and when a plumber should assess the source.Read the guide Frozen pipeSuspect a frozen water pipe? Check the supply pattern, use a tightly limited gentle cold-pipe thaw only when safe, and know when to stop for leaks or unknown systems.Read the guide Leaking pipeLearn what to do when a visible pipe leaks, how to distinguish supply, waste and heating clues, when a known private stop tap may help, and when to call a plumber.Read the guide Pipe banging when tap turned offA bang when a tap closes may be water hammer, but the sound does not prove the cause. Learn safe observations, urgent signs and what a plumber should assess.Read the guide Pipe leaking at a jointWater around a pipe connection? Learn how supply, waste and heating joints differ, what you can safely record, and why tightening a fitting may make things worse.Read the guide Pipes vibrating or hummingA sustained hum or vibrating pipe needs a different record from a shutoff bang. Learn safe observations, pump-specific limits and when to arrange assessment.Read the guide Water leaking through ceilingWhat to do about a ceiling drip or water stain, how to keep clear of a bulging ceiling and wet electrics, and what to tell a landlord or professional.Read the guide Water leaking under the sinkSee how to describe a leak beneath a sink, distinguish visible supply and waste locations, take safe damage-limitation steps and know when to get help.Read the guide Bath leaking underneathWater near a bath panel or in the room below? Leave the bath unused, record safe external clues and arrange assessment without opening panels or testing the waste.Read the guide Radiator leakingSafe damage limitation for a leaking central-heating radiator. Distinguish body, valve, joint and bleed-point clues and prepare a useful heating-engineer request.Read the guide

Choose by symptom

Water can travel before it becomes visible. Start with immediate safety and the leak location; a wet joint, a hidden pipe and water from a waste pipe can need different next steps.

Common questions

Which guide should I use for a visible pipe leak?

Start with Leaking pipe for a visible pipe-body concern, or Pipe leaking at a joint for water around a connection. The first wet point is a clue, not a confirmed diagnosis.

Are pipe droplets always a leak?

No. The condensation guide explains surface-moisture clues and their limits. Persistent dripping, pooling or damage still needs assessment; ventilation does not prove there is no leak.

Which guide matches a bang, hum or vibration?

Use the shutoff-bang guide for a brief bang when a tap closes. A sustained hum or vibration has a separate observation and assessment route; the sound alone does not identify a part.

Browse all plumbing categories