Emergency callout to repair a burst copper pipe in the kitchen ceiling. Our team arrived within 45 minutes, isolated the water supply, and replaced the damaged section with new copper piping to restore full water flow.
The Problem
The homeowner in Ipswich contacted us after discovering water pouring through their kitchen ceiling late on a Tuesday evening. A copper pipe joint in the ceiling cavity had corroded and split, causing significant water damage to the plasterboard and light fittings below.
Our Response
Our emergency plumber arrived on site within 45 minutes of the initial call. The first priority was to isolate the mains water supply and assess the extent of the damage. Using a pipe camera, we identified that the failure point was at a soldered joint where the copper had suffered from pinhole corrosion — a common issue in older homes with aggressive water chemistry.
The Repair
We carefully cut out the damaged section of copper pipe, approximately 600mm in length, and replaced it with new Type B copper tubing. All joints were silver-soldered to ensure long-term reliability. We also installed an isolation valve upstream of the repair to give the homeowner better control in the event of any future issues.
Before restoring the water supply, we pressure-tested the repaired section at 1500 kPa for 15 minutes to confirm there were no leaks. The system held perfectly.
Additional Recommendations
During the inspection we noticed early signs of corrosion on two other joints in the same pipe run. We advised the homeowner to schedule a planned replacement of the remaining original copper pipework to prevent a repeat incident. We provided a written quote for the follow-up work.
Result
Water was fully restored within two hours of our arrival. The homeowner was able to arrange their own plasterer for the ceiling repair, and we ensured the area was dried and safe before leaving site. A compliance certificate was issued for all plumbing work completed.
Project Completed:
