Plumbing emergency - any suggestions

[wonkylegs]

I know I need a plumber but until he phones me back I need suggestions to limit the damage.
Plumbers are doing our bathrooms at the moment & today removed the big cast iron radiator. They left at 5.
Hot water switched on at 6 - cue black water coming down my kitchen wall below. Coming through brand new extract and onto my new solid oak cabinets. White walls & ceiling ruined.Can't get to the source it's under the floor & I don't have brute strength to crowbar it up.
I'm running out of cloths/towels but can't get anything under the flow.

Have turned off heating to stop it pumping round system but can't think of anything else to stop the flow.
It's black, filthy and starting to cover everything inc me!
Any suggestions?

So sorry to hear about that :(

May be too late, but I've had something similar happen to me.

In our case, they should have put a special cap on the pipe leading to the radiator to stop this happening- it's something along these lines, but needs to be the right diameter for your radiator, of course:
www.screwfix.com/p/compression-blanking-nut-22mm/80500

If this looks right, then can you get to B&Q asap and attempt to buy the right size?

Apart from that, I'm afraid it's time for a major insurance claim :(

Thankfully DH got home at 9 and between the 2 of us we managed to stop the flow & clear it up.

There are no towels/ tea towels/ clothes left that aren't black - I was also quite covered in crap by this point. I then managed to get my 6yo in bed who'd found the whole thing exciting
Plumber rushed here when he finally got my message (rural area not great reception) full of apologies and arrived at 10 even though I'd sent him another message to say between us we'd managed to get to the pipe & stop the leak.

Hopefully it'll dry up & be ok following a clean up & a repaint.

Thank god for alcohol because I had a sense of humour failure pretty early on.