Leaks rarely announce themselves. More often it is a damp patch that keeps coming back, a musty cupboard or a water bill that has crept up for no obvious reason. Describe what you have noticed and Vofix will look for an available local plumber to trace it and put it right.
Water travels. It runs along joists, down the outside of pipes and through plasterboard, so the wet patch you can see is often nowhere near the joint that is leaking. That is why a leak that looks trivial can already have been going for weeks by the time it shows.
Any one of the signs below is worth investigating. Two or three together usually means water is escaping somewhere you cannot see.
A slow leak is not usually an emergency, but a few minutes of work now can save a floor.
If you cannot stop the flow, or water is coming through a ceiling, treat it as an emergency rather than a repair to book in.
A plumber will normally start with the accessible suspects — the compression joints under sinks, tap tails, waste connections, radiator valves and the boiler’s own fittings — because a surprising share of leaks are one of those. Where nothing is visible, tracing means isolating sections of pipework and watching pressure, lifting a board or two, or using damp readings to narrow the area down before anything is cut into.
The repair itself might be as simple as remaking a joint or replacing an olive, or it might mean cutting out a corroded section and replacing it. A good plumber will also look at why it failed — an unlagged pipe in a cold void, a run under pressure from a badly clipped bend — so you are not doing the same job again next year.
Vofix is a matching service that connects customers with independent local plumbers. The plumber will confirm availability, pricing and the scope of work directly with you before work begins.
Repair work can involve lifting flooring or cutting plasterboard to reach a pipe. Ask the plumber what access is needed and who is making good afterwards.
Vofix is a matching service that connects customers with independent local plumbers. The plumber will confirm availability, pricing and the scope of work directly with you before work begins.
Availability varies by area and by day, so attendance is always subject to plumber availability. Vofix does not set or control the prices plumbers charge.
Three steps from telling us about the job to speaking with a local plumber directly.
Share a few quick details about your plumbing job, big or small.
We look for a plumber in the Vofix network covering your area.
Speak directly with your plumber and get the job sorted.
Turn off every tap and appliance in the house, then watch the water meter for about fifteen minutes. If the dial is still moving, water is escaping somewhere. A boiler that keeps losing pressure points to a leak on the heating side instead.
If the leak is on the mains side and you cannot isolate the fitting, yes — turn the stopcock off and drain the cold taps. You can turn it back on briefly when you need water, as long as someone is watching the leak.
Sometimes. Leaks under solid floors or in ceiling voids can only be reached by opening them up, and a plumber will normally try the accessible joints first. Ask what access is likely and who is responsible for making good the surface afterwards.
Many policies cover the damage caused by escaping water, and some include cover for finding the leak — the wording varies a lot. The repair to the pipe itself is often excluded. Check your policy and speak to your insurer before major work starts.
A straightforward repair to an accessible joint typically falls within a guide range of around £80–£220 in the Midlands. Tracing a hidden leak or opening up a floor costs more. Vofix does not set prices — the plumber quotes you directly.
See the full price guide →Tell us what you have noticed and where, and we will look for an available local plumber to assess it. Free to use, with no obligation to book.
If the leak turns out to be something more urgent, start here.