Plumbers

What a plumber can do for you

• Find and fix leaks from pipes, joints, taps and radiators
• Repair or replace taps, toilets, cisterns and shower mixers
• Clear blocked sinks, toilets and drains
• Install or replace electric water heaters
• Connect washing machines and dishwashers
• Replace old pipework and plumb in a new kitchen or bathroom

Gas boilers and other gas appliances need a registered gas fitter. If your job involves gas, check before you book.

When it can't wait

Find a plumber straight away for:

• A burst pipe or water coming through a ceiling
• A leak you can't stop at the tap or valve
• Sewage backing up into a sink, shower or toilet
• No water at all when your neighbours have it

Turn off the water at the main stopcock first. Learn where it is now, before you need it. In a flat it is often in the bathroom, under the kitchen sink or in a shared riser cupboard.

If you smell gas, leave the building and call your gas emergency number. That is not a job for a plumber.

Describing the job

A clear description gets you faster replies and quotes that hold. Include:

• What is leaking, blocked or broken, and where in the home
• Whether it is getting worse, and whether the water is off
• The make and model of the tap, toilet or water heater, if you can see it
• Whether you live in a flat or a house, and how to reach the pipes
• Photos of the problem and of any pipework under or behind it
• When you need the work done

Before you hire

• Ask whether they work as a registered business and will give you an invoice
• Get the price in writing before work starts, including parts and any call-out fee
• Ask whether they guarantee the repair, and for how long
• Read reviews from people who actually hired them for similar work