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Leaking Tap or Pipe? What to Do Before the Plumber Arrives

That steady drip from the kitchen tap is easy to ignore — until you learn what it costs. A tap dripping once a second wastes roughly 3,000 gallons of water in a year. A hidden pipe leak is worse: it can soak floorboards, feed mold, and quietly raise your water bill for months before you ever see a stain.

This page walks through what to do when you find a leak, how to limit the damage, and when a leak stops being a "someday" job and becomes a "call today" job. We are an independent plumbing-help guide, not a plumbing company. The phone service described here connects homeowners with plumbers who handle leaks every day.

First: stop the water getting worse

  1. Turn off the nearest valve. Most sinks and toilets have a small shut-off valve on the pipes beneath them. Turn it clockwise. If the leak is bigger or you cannot find the local valve, use the home's main shut-off — usually near the water meter, in the basement, or where the main line enters the house. Every adult in the home should know where it is before an emergency, not during one.
  2. Catch and mop. A bucket under a drip and towels around a joint buy you time and protect floors and cabinets.
  3. Relieve the pressure. After shutting off the main valve, open a tap on the lowest floor. The pipes drain down and the leaking joint stops pushing water out.
  4. Skip the tape-and-hope fix. Repair tape and putty can slow a drip for a few hours, but they are not repairs. Tell the plumber what you used — it helps them plan.

Is it the tap, or the pipe?

  • Drips from the spout when the tap is off: usually a worn washer or cartridge inside the tap — a classic small repair.
  • Water under the sink or around the tap base: the supply lines or seals are leaking.
  • A damp patch on a wall or ceiling, or a bill that jumped for no reason: suspect a hidden pipe leak. A simple test: note your water meter reading, use no water for two hours, then check again. If the meter moved, water is going somewhere it should not.

When to call today instead of someday

Call a plumber promptly if the shut-off valve itself will not close, if water is near electrical outlets or your breaker panel, if the leak is on a main line, or if you can hear water running when everything is off. Those are the leaks that turn into ceiling collapses and five-figure repairs.

On the call, say where the water is appearing, whether you have shut the water off, and how long it has been leaking. That short description lets the plumber bring the right parts the first time — which is how a leak stays a small bill instead of a big one.

Disclaimer: Plumbing Help by Phone is a free service to assist homeowners in connecting with local service providers. All contractors/providers are independent and Plumbing Help by Phone does not warrant or guarantee any work performed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to verify that the hired contractor furnishes the necessary license and insurance required for the work being performed. All persons depicted in a photo or video are actors or models and not contractors listed on Plumbing Help by Phone.

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