YOUR

IN CASE O EMERGENC F IES

KEEP ME

HOW TO hANDLE AND PREVENT DISASTERS IN ThE hOME

Plumbing

Drainage

Heating

Electricity

0800 9 99 24 7 im on

Call

to cla olicy your p

14

14

08

Welcome...

...to the Home Emergency Guide youll want to keep in your kitchen drawer

s a HomeServe customer, your emergency is our emergency. Whether its a power failure, leaking pipe, blocked drain or loss of central heating, call us and well send an approved engineer as quickly as we can. Home emergencies can cause a great deal of worry, but with this guide well help you get to grips with the situation fast. Its packed with advice on what to do in an emergency, how to prevent damage, and weve got some great tips on averting future disasters in all areas of the home. Often, spending a little time on maintenance will save you a lot of time, money and hassle in the long run. Please read this guide and keep it in a safe place, just in case things go wrong.

04

02 Home Emergency Guide | homeserve.com

Inside YOUR HOME

04 Major leaks
From burst pipes to frozen outdoor taps what to do about your water woes

How to make a claim

Just follow the steps below. Remember to have your policy number handy when you call its on your documentation and you can write it on the back of this guide.

EMERGENCY GUIDE
14 Power failure
Often when the lights go out theres a very simple explanation. Follow these simple steps.

1
Call us on 0800 24 7 999, where our dedicated claims call centre is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Please have a pen and paper handy to write down your claims reference number.

08 Toilet trouble

Steps to take when your toilet wont ush, and how to cope with blocked sinks, drains and waste pipes.

16 10 ways to help prevent disaster

A little maintenance around the home could avert a major emergency later on.

2
The person dealing with your claim will ask you a few questions to help identify the problem and whether or not its covered.

10 Broken boiler

No hot water? No heating? Heres what to do when your central heating fails, plus boiler service tips.

18 Emergency kit

A checklist of tools and other useful items that you might need when theres a problem.

3
If your problem is covered, a HomeServe approved engineer will aim to be with you at an agreed time.

4
Plumbing Drainage Heating Electricity
Job done, all thats left is for you to sign to say youre satised.

HomeServe is a trading name of HomeServe Membership Ltd, Cable Drive, Walsall, West Midlands WS2 7BN. Unless otherwise stated, policies are provided by and underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance SA and arranged and administered by HomeServe Membership Ltd. For claims, lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For enquiries, lines are open weekdays 8am to 8pm, Saturday 8am to 4pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Calls may be recorded for quality control and training purposes.

HomeServe: Duncan Strachan, Bal Thandi, Dean Elliott, Kerrie Lo FuturePlus: Editorial Director Mark Donald Editor Garrick Webster Senior Art Editors Richard Jenkins, Emma Swift Art Editor Chris Stenner Illustration Tom Hughes, Myles Talbot Director of FuturePlus Jayne Caple Client Services Director Fiona McDaniel Account Manager Debbie Blackman The HomeServe Home Emergency Guide is published on behalf of HomeServe Membership Limited

by FuturePlus, a division of Future Publishing Ltd (company no 2008885), whose registered ofce is at 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW. Tel: 01225 442244 All information correct at time of going to press. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright owner. No responsibility will be accepted for any errors or omissions or comments. Views expressed in the guide are not necessarily the views of

HomeServe Membership Limited, and services and goods mentioned are not necessarily endorsed by HomeServe Membership Limited. We accept no responsibility for the content of third party websites or the goods or services that they may provide to you. The subjects and conditions covered in this guide are for information only and may not be covered by your insurance product should you make a claim. HomeServe 2012

03

All is not lost. You can try to reduce the damage by taking the following steps:

MAJOR LEAKS
Turning off the water

PLUMBING EMERGENCIES

Find your stop valve

When theres a major leak in your home, locate the stop valve also called a stopcock, or stop tap and turn it off. Then, call HomeServe. Heres some advice on nding your stop valve: Its nearly always in a room where water 1 will be used, on the ground oor. Usually its in the kitchen or bathroom. Also check your garage if its attached to the house. Stop valves are also usually found near 2 an outside wall, or a former outside wall if your house has been extended.

It will be no more than a foot off the 3 ground. Unless you live in a block of ats, in which case the tap could be at any height. If you have an internal water meter, it will 4 be on the pipe going into the meter. Your stop valve will probably be a metal tap (see the diagram below). To turn it off, rotate it clockwise until its completely closed. Do not force your stop valve if its difcult to turn. Seized-up valves can break. Its a good idea to give your stop valve a turn every six months to guard against this. Turn it one quarter to the right, then a quarter turn back again. If its stiff, spraying some WD40 on the spindle may free it up, and wont contaminate the water.

Hidden stop valves

Sometimes when houses are renovated, stop valves end up behind cupboards, under oorboards or boxed into unusual places. If this is the case you may need some tools handy to get to it. However, if your stop valve is concealed an isolation valve may have been added to the pipes where the water now enters the kitchen or bathroom. Usually it can be turned using a screwdriver. When the groove is parallel to the pipe, its on, when its at 90 degress, its off. See page 6.
prevent Handy tip Cut the water supply and stop the Turn e. the damage a leak can caus ey. loos lefty ty, tigh valve clockwise: righty
04 Home Emergency Guide | 0800 24 7 999

Preventing damage

If you cant turn off the water supply, it might be best to take measures to prevent the leak from damaging your home and your belongings. How you do this will depend on the nature of the leak and its location. IMPORTANT If leaking water might 1 threaten your homes wiring, turn off the electricity at the fuse board. See page 14. Often, the simplest solution is the best 2 solution grab a bucket and put it under the leak to catch the water. If its a minor leak on 3 some pipework, get a towel and wrap it around the pipe to soak up the water. If you can use a towel to channel the water into a bucket and stop it soaking into the carpet, oor or ttings, all the better.

No water pressure?

If you have low water pressure, or none at all, check if your neighbours have the same problem. Then call your water company (see the back page) to see if there are any supply issues in your area.

A plastic bag on the oor with a towel 4 on top to soak up water is often a simplebut-effective solution, if you cant nd a bucket.

Sometimes you can reduce the amount of water spraying out of a leak by reducing the water pressure in the system. Turn on some cold taps in the house (hot water is expensive).

to soak Handy tip Using a towel leak is a of t ou ing com up water da t mage. an easy way to preven

05

Isolation valves
Often, you can use the isolation valves on your homes pipework to stop a leak until it can be xed. Most houses have isolation valves controlling the water supply to washing machines, dishwashers, taps, electric showers and toilet cisterns.

valves to cut Handy tip Use isolation need to go nt off a leak and you wo of the house. t res the without water in

Dishwashers and washing machines

Off On
clockwise to cut off the water supply. Be careful, its only designed to turn 90-degrees. If you try and force it further the plastic lever may break off. This will make the valve hard to turn on again.

In many homes, the isolation valves for washing machines and dishwashers come in the form of small, plastic taps. If theres a water leak in your appliance, locate the taps theyre usually behind the machine on the pipework or on a hose leading to it. When the tap is on, it will be in line with the pipe. Turn the tap 90 degrees counter

Taps and toilets Open

Closed

Is water gushing out of a tap uncontrollably? Is your toilet cistern overowing? The best thing to do might be to turn off the water supply to the offending tting. Youll usually nd isolation valves as pictured to the left for your hot and cold taps underneath the sink, on the pipework leading up to your toilet cistern, and on the water pipe that goes into your electric shower. You can turn a valve off with a at-head screwdriver, coin or knife. When the slot on the valve is parallel to the pipes direction its on. Turn it 90 degrees so that it is across the direction of the pipe, and the water supply will be cut off.

06 Home Emergency Guide | homeserve.com

Leaking pipes
If you have a split pipe or a leaky joint and feel condent about xing it yourself, here are two temporary solutions that are easy to apply. Emergency pipe repair clamps these 1 are available in a range of shapes and sizes from most DIY shops and websites. The two sections of the clamp are placed around the pipe where the damage is, and tightening the screws temporarily seals the leak. Compression tape Another option is 2 compression tape, also called Alfa tape. When wrapped tightly around the pipe it will stop the leak while you wait for us to arrive.

Tap protection

To prevent damanging limescale build-up in your taps, run them hard every few months.

Prevent outdoor taps from freezing

Water freezing, expanding and bursting outdoor pipework is one of the most common causes of leaks during the winter. If you have a garden tap, see if you can nd an isolation valve on the indoor pipework leading to it. Switch it off (see facing page) at the onset of winter. Once its off, turn the outside tap on so that no water is trapped inside the tap or pipe when the cold weather comes. If you cant isolate the tap, you can still prevent it freezing by lagging the pipe and using a thermal tap jacket. A selection of tap lagging and insulation kits are available from good DIY stores.

Water rising outside your house could have many causes, beginning with bad weather! Or you may have a blocked drain which needs to be cleared. Another reason could be that the pipe between the mains water and your home has burst. You may be able to prevent the ooding by turning off your outdoor stop valve. Some outdoor Flooding outside stop valves are hard to access, so this may your be difcult Water rising outside housewithout a special key many for thecauses, purpose (see page could have 19). Usually the bad stopweather! valve is under beginning with a metal cover in the road outside Or you may have a blocked your the to driveway, or drainhouse, which on needs be in the garden. If you can access cleared. Another reason it and be turn it off, itpipe could save could that the you a lot of hassle. not, wait between the mains If water for our engineer to arrive. and your home has burst. You may be able to
07

Outdoor ooding

What to do when your toilet isnt working, plus blocked drains and more

TOILEt tROUBLE

DRAINAGE EMERGENCIES

A leaking cistern

After youve called HomeServe, there are a few things you can try to take control of the situation if your cistern is cracked, leaking or overowing. Get a bucket Try to catch the water 1 thats coming out by putting a bucket, bowl or other receptacle under the leak. Isolate the cistern Stop the water supply 2 to the cistern by turning off its isolation valve (see page 6). Its usually on the water pipe going up to the back of the cistern.

Turn off the water If you cant isolate the 3 cistern, an alternative is to turn off the water supply completely using your internal stop tap. However this will leave you with no water throughout the property until we can come out to solve the problem. Shut the rell valve If your ushing 4 mechanism uses a traditional ball cock system, open the cistern and lift the arm with the ball oat on the end until the water coming out of the rell valve stops running. Then put a thin piece of wood a wooden spoon is ideal across the top of the cistern and tie the arm to it so that the valve is held in the off position until we arrive. See the diagram to the left.

No ush?

you can Handy tip If your toilet wont ush, of water et buck a half Use loo. your still use t. outle to wash the waste down the
08 Home Emergency Guide | 0800 24 7 999

Button ush If you have a button ush toilet and the button is on top of the cistern, do not try to lift the lid. You may cause further damage. We advise you to wait until our engineer arrives to x or replace the mechanism. Lever ush If your toilet has a lever handle, you can take the cistern lid off and check the lever is attached to the ush mechanism. If it has come loose, try to re-attach it and see if it works.

Blocked toilet

When your toilets blocked, and the bowl is even half full of water, the golden rule is dont keep ushing. You dont want it to make it overow. Less water makes it easier to use a plunger to unblock the toilet too. Place the plunger so that it covers the entire outlet in the bottom of the toilet and then pump down hard, using water pressure to dislodge the blockage. Larger plungers specically for unblocking toilets are available from good DIY stores. Avoid compressed air products designed to create a blast of air to shift a blockage. They can actually compress the blockage making it harder to shift. Also avoid chemical drain cleaners including bleach due to the dangerous gasses they can produce and the damage they can do to your pipework. If you do use one let our engineer know when he or she arrives.

Blocked sink

If your sink is blocked remove the plug and place a plunger over the plughole. Place a damp cloth over the overow hole to stop air escaping when you create pressure with the plunger (see below). Pump sharply with the plunger. If this wont shift it you can remove the trap pipe and clean it. Put the plug into the plughole, and place a bucket beneath the pipes under the sink. The U-shaped trap should unscrew and you can clean it. If this doesnt work, call us.

ls try 1/3 cup of Handy tip If plunging fai bicarb of soda vinegar and another of ng your drain. cki to dissolve grease blo
09

BROKEN bOILER
Some great advice for when your central heating is down

HEATING EMERGENCIES

Turning off the gas!

If you smell gas in your home, make sure your gas appliances are off. Open the windows, and dont smoke or use any electrical devices including a mobile phone. If you suspect a gas leak, turn off your gas using the gas cock and call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. The gas cock is usually found on the pipe going into the gas meter. Often, its a lever aligned with the pipe. Turn it 90 degrees clockwise to turn the gas off. The gas meter for most houses is near an entrance, or in the garage.

If you have a conventional boiler and it fails, you might not have to go without hot water. The hot water cylinders on many systems may come with an immersion heater meaning you can use electricity to heat the water. Look for a switch near the tank, which will enable you to turn on your immersion heater. Remember that using electricity to heat your water can be expensive. So avoid leaving your immersion heater on for extended periods to reduce costs. The insulated tank will keep the water hot until you use it. The majority of homes with combi boilers dont have hot water cylinders, but if you have an electric shower you can still use this.

No hot water?

What type of boiler do you have?

There are two main types of boilers used in UK homes conventional and combi, short for combination. The type of boiler you have will affect what steps you take when you have no hot water. Combi boilers heat water on demand. Turn on a hot tap, the boiler ignites and you get hot water to ll the bath or sink, or take a shower. Conventional boilers heat your hot water at set times and the hot water is stored in a cylinder. Both conventional and combi boilers come in condensing and noncondensing forms. Condensing boilers have a condensate pipe see page 13.

10 Home Emergency Guide | homeserve.com

6 5
iler manual? Find a Handy tip Lost your bo nufacturers website, ma copy at your boiler anualslibrary.co.uk/ or try http://www.them

No heating?

If your boiler fails, dont remove the casing. You might be able to restart it, or at least pull together some information that will be helpful when you call HomeServe. Try the following: Check the pilot light see if its lit by 1 looking through the hole on your boiler. Not all boilers have a pilot light. If youre not sure about yours then check your instruction manual. Reset button Try to restart the boiler 2 using the reset button. The reset button, if you have one, can usually be found on the front of the boiler. You just need to press the button on many newer boilers whereas some models require you to press and hold a button until the ame reignites. Sometimes a dial must be turned. Consult your manual for specic guidance.

Make and model Write this information 3 down in the handy space provided on the back of this Home Emergency Guide. It might help us get the parts and perform repairs a little bit more quickly. Error code If your boiler has an LCD 4 display, is it showing a readout? If so, tell us what it says when you call us. The type of fuel Most homes use gas, 5 but kerosene, oil and liquid propane gas (LPG) boilers are also used, and solar heating. Again, this information might help our engineer. The manual Sometimes our engineers 6 nd it useful to see the boilers manual and service history when they arrive to x a central heating system, so if you have this to hand it might help.
11

Servicing your central heating

Having your central heating system regularly serviced and maintained is a good way of preventing disaster

Have your boiler serviced

You should have your boiler serviced every 12 months. An ideal time to do it is in the summer, when your central heating isnt being used. Boiler servicing must be done by a qualied Gas Safe Engineer. Ask to see their credentials. During the service the parts should be checked, debris cleaned out, and the oxygen to fuel ratio adjusted to ensure it burns as efciently as possible. The systems pressure should be checked and topped up if necessary.

Water quality check

The quality of the water in your central heating system should be checked regularly to ensure corrosion isnt a problem. A water quality check isnt part of a normal boiler service, but you can ask your engineer to carry one out. Corrosion inhibitor can slow down the effects of corrosion. If inhibitor is present in your system then it will turn your water slightly yellow. Your engineer should check the inhibitor concentration levels and top up, if necessary.

Do you need a powerush?

A powerush is the last resort when your central heating is clogged with black, treaclelike uid. If you do need a powerush, make sure its carried out by a qualied Gas Safe registered engineer. The Gas Safe Register is the national standards body for gas engineers. Use a reputable company too, and be aware that a powerush can cause damage if your
12 Home Emergency Guide | 0800 24 7 999

pipework is over 15 years old. A powerush machine should be used and it should take about 20 minutes per radiator. If this isnt happening, youre not getting a proper powerush. Ask to see uid from the system once it has been relled it should be a pale yellow colour with a few bubbles in it.

Thawing a frozen condensate pipe

If you have a condensing boiler, and it fails during the winter, this could be the result of a frozen outdoor condensate pipe. Heres what to do if that happens... Switch off the boiler and locate the condensate pipe its usually outside on the wall your boilers xed to. Make sure you can reach the full length of the pipe standing at ground level. If not, call an expert.

Radiator cold spots

If your radiators arent heating up properly at the top or the bottom then try the following: n If the top of a radiator is cool then air may be trapped inside. If youre condent enough to use a radiator key then you can release that air. n First, turn off the central heating, and let it go cold. Then get a cloth and bucket (or similar) to catch any radiator water that leaks out. n Use a radiator key to gradually open the valve at the top corner of the radiator. Quickly close the valve when liquid bubbles out. n The radiator should now be full. Turn on your heating and check your radiator fully heats up. n Call a reputable Gas Safe Registered engineer to bleed your radiator if you are at all unsure. . n If your radiators dont heat at the bottom, sludge in the system or poor circulation may be the problem. This is a difcult job to x and may require a powerush (see left).

Warm some water in your kettle but do not use boiling water as it may crack the pipe. Pour a jug of warm water down the length of the pipe. Repeat this until it thaws.

As a temporary measure to prevent it from freezing again, tie some old towels or cloth around the pipe.

Heating test

Check your heating works in the summer to help avoid a nasty surprise come winter.

At the next opportunity, insulate it with some foam tubing, or install a condensate pipe heater which coils around the pipe and turns on automatically in cold temperatures. Both are available from good DIY stores.

13

POWER FAILURE
The lights have gone out. You have no electricity. What do you do next?

ELECTRICal EMERGENCIES

What kind of fuse board do you have?

There are two main types of fuse board in use in the UK at the moment. Most homes have a new, white consumer unit with a main red switch that cuts off supply to the entire property, plus a series of other switches which control the power to specic areas of the home. Older properties that havent been rewired recently often have the Old old style fuse box, with one main switch and three or four large fuses. To help you work out which type of fuse board you have, see the pics to the right. If you have a consumer unit it might be easy to restore power, but if its an older fuse box we recommend you wait until our engineer arrives.

The rst thing you should do...

Do your neighbours have electricity or not? If its night time, are the street lamps illuminated, or out?

Before calling HomeServe, take a look outside to see if your neighbours have been affected:

1 2

If there is a power cut in your area, then you need to contact your regional electricity network operator see the back page of this guide.

Where is your fuse board?

Its useful to locate your fuse board before you have a problem. It will often be near your front door, attached to the wall above head height. It might be in a box or housing alongside your electricity meter, or even in the garage. If you live in a at, it could be on a shared landing, in a utility area or cupboard, or even outside.

Restoring power

unit Handy tip If a consumer e power tor res en trips, you can oft . itch sw in ma the by ipping

New

If you are condent about accessing your fuse board, and it is safe for you to do so, you may want to try and restore power. Otherwise, and particularly if you have an older type of fuse box, call HomeServe and we will send an engineer. If you have a new style consumer unit it should have a mains switch and a RCD Residual Current Device. For safety reasons both can cut the

14 Home Emergency Guide | homeserve.com

power if theres a fault. If the main or RCD switches trip, you might restore power by simply turning them back on. If that doesnt work, see Isolating a fault (right) to restore power to some of your home. Often the last appliance you used will have caused the fault: n Plug this item into a different socket and turn it, and your power, back on. n If the power stays on then the original socket is probably faulty. n If the power goes off then your appliance is most likely the culprit! n Do not use a faulty appliance or socket until it is repaired or replaced. Power failure may also be caused by overloaded sockets, faulty wiring, a blown lightbulb (just replace it), outside lights, water features with pumps, or, if you live in a at, a blown fuse in the building fuse board.

Isolating a fault

Wiring inspection

Have your wiring tested every ve to 10 years.

Consumer units split your homes wiring into separate rings for lighting, sockets and key appliances. A fault on one ring will trip the mains, or the RCD switch, cutting power. To isolate the problem: 1 If the mains [A] has tripped, turn off all the switches including the mains. 2 Turn on the mains followed by each fuse switch [B] one at a time. 3 When a switch trips it out again, youve isolated the fault. 4 Turn on the mains and all the other fuse switches, except the faulty one. 5 The same can be done for fuses protected by the RCD [C] if necessary.

15

ways to help 10 prevent disaster

There are plenty of simple measures you can take around the home to help stop emergencies from happening. Here are some of our top tips and maintenance suggestions

Maintenance all year round

Spring
 heck the roof and make sure no tiles C have blown loose in the winter. Clear gutters and drains of debris. Check the loft for wasps or other pests. Have your central heating serviced. If you have a conventional boiler, run it  for a day to test it.  lear leaves from your C outdoor drains. Ensure your outdoor  electrics are waterproof. Draft-proof windows  and doors. solate or insulate your I outdoor tap. Lag the condensate pipe. 

and serviced every ve to 10 years. Ask for a periodic inspection by a National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) approved electrician.

1 Electrics Have your wiring and fuse board tested

Summer

Pour soda crystals down your indoor drains every six months to clean them. Be sure to dissolve the crystals as per the instructions on the packaging using them dry can be dangerous. Use plenty of water to wash it down.

2 Indoor drains

Autumn

lter 3 Magnetic For about 200 you can have

a magnetic lter unit tted to your central heating. It magnetically removes impurities in the water that runs through your radiators for a cleaner, saferrunning system.

Winter

Handy tip A magnetic ed lter needs to be clean s. nth mo 12 ry eve out

16 Home Emergency Guide | 0800 24 7 999

Handy tip Clear fallen leaves in the Autumn to g. prevent outdoor oodin

Clear your outdoor gutters and drains annually. If your kitchen waste pipe empties into the outside drain, cooking fats and food can cause nasty blockages. Isolating or lagging your outdoor tap in the winter will prevent it from freezing. Frozen taps are one of the biggest causes of leaks in the winter, but tap insulation kits are available from most good DIY stores for around 8. See page 7 for more information. Prevent the build-up of limescale in your taps, by turning them on all the way and running them for a few minutes, every few months. Lime grit can cause dripping taps. Use a hair trap on your bath and shower plugholes, and a food trap in your kitchen sink. Theyre a simple and inexpensive way of preventing blockages.

4 Gutters and drains

5 Outdoor taps

6 Indoor taps

Dont plug more than one splitter or extension lead into any single socket. An overloaded socket is not only a risk to your fusebox, it can cause a re. Dont let water get into your outdoor electrics. Waterproof boxes can be easily tted on your outdoor sockets. To prevent your condensate pipe from freezing in winter, use lagging to insulate it, or get a battery-powered condensate pipe heater. They cost about 80. See page 13.
17

8 Too many plugs?

9 Outdoor sockets

7 Plughole protector

10 Condensate pipe

Emergency kit
Put together your own set of basic tools and keep it somewhere handy
Once youve called HomeServe and one of our engineers is on the way, you might want to take some steps to limit the damage caused by a home emergency, or to get things up and running again until help arrives. To do this youll need a selection of everyday tools for tackling the most common household problems. Store them somewhere accessible ready for when you need them. A spare pair of rubber gloves is always handy for when you have a plumbing or drainage emergency.

1 Rubber gloves

Keep a at head screwdriver for turning off isolation valves on your pipes as demonstrated on page 6.

2 Screwdriver

5
These multipurpose tools are well worth having in your toolkit. Look for ones with soft grip handles.

6
If you need one, you can get a radiator key very cheaply online, or from a good hardware shop.

7
Sooner or later you may have to loosen or tighten a leaky plumbing tting. An adjustable spanner is perfect for the job.

Pliers set

Radiator key

Adjustable spanner

18 Home Emergency Guide | homeserve.com

t your ck tha e h c ularly , and that it tip Reg Handy s batteries in . t a a h h e c tor t gon n e v a they h

Electric radiator
A portable electric radiator will prove invaluable if your central heating fails in the middle of winter. Dont wait for a cold snap to pick one up. Buy one in the summer when hardware shops have plenty in stock, and keep it in a cupboard or your loft. Smaller, low wattage models are available for as little as 30.

Make sure your emergency kit includes a sturdy torch in case your electricity fails during the night.

3 Torch

Blocked drain? Blocked toilet? Have a plunger to hand and you could solve the problem within minutes.

4 Plunger

8
You can use this to x a leaking pipe. A roll costs around 25 and can create a permanent seal on a pipe.

9
If the plunger fails, often a mixture of 1/3 cup vinegar and 1/3 cup sodium bicarbonate xes a blocked sink.

10
Use it to turn off your outdoor stop valve if your water supply pipe is leaking, or if you cant access the internal one.
19

Compression tape

Soda & vinegar

Stop valve key

Your emergency is our emergency

HomeServe claims line 0800 24 7 999

Other claims lines
Householders Accident Plan 0870 241 4539 Legal Advice Helpline 0845 257 0427 Keycare 0845 305 8143

Plumbing

Drainage

Heating

Electricity

Security

Pests

Your policy
Your policy name Your policy number

Your home
Where the stop valve is located Where the fuse board is located

Boiler make and model

Date of your last boiler service

Your numbers
Electrical emergency number Copy from the back of your most recent bill. Water emergency number Copy from the back of your most recent bill.

0800 111 999

National Gas Emergency Service

0845 988 1188

Floodline (Northern Ireland: 0300 2000 100)

We endeavour to make the hints, tips and general advice contained in this guide as useful and reliable as possible. However, they are of a general nature and may not be relevant or appropriate in all circumstances. If you are at all unsure of the appropriateness of the advice or of your own DIY skills please do use the services of a professional. Where you have insurance cover in place you should check that your cover is not invalidated by undertaking any initial work yourself.