Worried about the bill? Read what affects emergency plumber cost.
Start with the direction the water is travelling
Water appearing even when nobody is using a sink, bath or toilet points towards supply pipework. Look at the visible connections and fittings, but do not put your hands near electrical sockets or appliances in standing water. If you can reach the stopcock safely, turn it off and see whether the flow stops. That is useful information to give the person you ring.
Water rising through a shower tray, toilet or outside chamber when another appliance empties points towards drainage instead. Stop using water and ask everyone sharing the affected drain to stop as well. Turning off the mains supply will not remove a blockage already sitting in the waste pipe.
Which problems belong on which side?
- Burst or leaking pipework, dripping supply fittings and water escaping from a tap connection: ask for plumbing help.
- Toilets and soil stacks backing up, foul water at a manhole or an outside gully overflowing: ask for drainage help.
- A single slow sink with the other fixtures working: check the trap first, then describe the result on the phone.
- Several fixtures affected together: the restriction may be in the shared waste or underground drain rather than any one appliance.
- Flooding with an uncertain source: explain what you can see rather than trying to name the fault yourself.
The information worth gathering before a call
Tell the person answering whether the water is clean or foul, whether it comes out continuously or only when you use a fixture, and which rooms or outside chambers are affected. If a neighbour's gully is also full, mention that too; the problem might be in a shared run rather than your own branch. This gives the engineer a better starting point than saying only that the bathroom has flooded.
Photograph the visible problem if it is safe. You do not need to lift a heavy chamber cover, reach into a drain or take fittings apart to prove where the problem sits. Leave contaminated water and any inaccessible pipework to someone with suitable equipment.
What Curran actually covers
Our published services include burst and leaking pipework, urgent blocked toilets and soil stacks, flooding, surcharging manholes, and general plumbing. Drainage work includes rods and high-pressure water jetting; a CCTV survey can investigate a blockage that keeps returning. Our base is in Pumpherston beside Livingston and the stated working area covers West Lothian, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Lanarkshire and Fife.
We answer 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and state that there is no call-out charge. Describe what has happened when you ring 07427 195142; we can discuss whether the next step is a plumbing visit, a drain clearance or an inspection. This guide is for choosing the right help, not a substitute for an urgent call when water is entering a building.
After the immediate problem
If the drain has blocked more than once, clearing it is not the end of the investigation. A camera can show an open joint, roots or standing water, and the recorded footage and written report give you something concrete before deciding on a repair. If a pipe has leaked, keep photographs and ask what repair was carried out so you can explain it to a landlord, factor or insurer if needed.
Want a professional to handle it?
Ask us about your drain
Questions we get asked
Is a blocked toilet a plumber or drainage job?
If only the pan is affected the obstruction may be local. If other fixtures or an outside chamber are backing up, the shared drain or soil stack needs checking. Describe both when you ring.
Can you help with both a burst pipe and a blocked drain?
Yes. Both burst and leaking pipework and urgent drain blockages are listed among our plumbing and drainage services.
Should I keep flushing to check if it has cleared?
No. If water is already rising, another flush can add to a spill. Stop using the affected appliances until the cause is found.