Plumbing Guides
Straightforward advice on leaks, water pressure, showers and new bathrooms – what the signs mean, what to do first and what to ask before you book a plumber.
Leaks, blockages and plumbing problems
What the symptoms mean, what to check first and when it's time to call a plumber.
What to do in a plumbing emergency
A burst pipe or water pouring through a ceiling is stressful, but a few calm steps in the first minutes can save a lot of damage – and money.
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Signs of a hidden water leak
Not every leak announces itself with a drip. Some of the most damaging ones are under floors and behind walls, and the clues are easy to miss.
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Low water pressure: causes and fixes
A weak shower or a slow-filling bath can have half a dozen different causes. Working out which one you have is the key to fixing it.
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Why does my toilet keep running?
A cistern that hisses, trickles or refills on its own every few minutes is one of the most common plumbing faults in UK homes – and usually one of the easiest to fix.
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How to unblock a toilet (and when to call a plumber)
A blocked toilet is unpleasant but rarely complicated. Here's what you can safely try, what to avoid, and how to tell when the blockage is somewhere a plunger won't reach.
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Toilet won't flush properly? Causes and fixes
A weak flush, a lever that needs several pumps or a button that does nothing at all usually comes down to a handful of worn or broken parts inside the cistern.
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Water around the base of the toilet
A puddle behind the toilet is easy to ignore and expensive to leave. It can rot floors and ceilings below – so it's worth finding the cause quickly.
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Blocked or slow-draining sink
Kitchen sinks block with grease and food; bathroom basins with hair and soap. Both are usually simple to clear – and easy to prevent.
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Why do my drains smell?
A whiff of drains in a bathroom or kitchen is unpleasant, but it's also a useful clue. The cause is usually simple – and the smell tells you where to look.
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Dripping tap: causes and how it's fixed
A dripping tap is the classic plumbing job. Whether it needs a new washer, a new cartridge or a new tap depends on the type you have.
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Leaking under the kitchen sink
The cupboard under the kitchen sink hides more plumbing than anywhere else in the house – and a slow leak there can ruin the cabinet and floor before anyone notices.
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Frozen pipes: how to thaw them safely and prevent them
A frozen pipe isn't a burst pipe – yet. Thawing it slowly and carefully, and checking for damage before the water comes back on, can save a flooded ceiling.
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No hot water? What to check first
Losing hot water is a nuisance, but a few quick checks can tell you whether it's a simple setting, a frozen pipe or something that needs an engineer.
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Banging, knocking and noisy pipes
A thud when the washing machine stops filling, a shudder when a tap closes, a creak as the heating warms up – noisy pipes are common, and usually fixable.
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Shower running hot and cold
Few things are more irritating than a shower that scalds you one moment and freezes you the next. The cause depends on the type of shower and the system behind it.
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Brown, cloudy or discoloured tap water
Water that comes out the wrong colour is alarming. Often it's temporary and caused outside your home – but sometimes it's a sign of old pipes inside it.
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Airlocks in pipes: spluttering taps and no water
After the water has been off, a tap that coughs, splutters or gives nothing at all is often caused by trapped air – especially in homes with a loft tank.
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Leaking radiator valve
A small drip from a radiator valve can stain carpets, rot floorboards and gradually drain the pressure from your heating system. It's usually a straightforward fix.
3 min readBathrooms, kitchens, showers and installations
Planning the plumbing side of a new bathroom, shower, toilet or appliance before you book anyone.
Power showers and shower pumps explained
If your shower is weak and your hot water comes from a tank in the loft, a pump could transform it. Here's how to choose the right one.
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Planning the plumbing for a new bathroom
The suite you choose matters, but the plumbing behind it decides whether your new bathroom works properly. Plan it before you buy.
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Electric shower or mixer shower?
Both can give you a great shower – in the right home. The choice depends on your hot water system, your water pressure and how many people need to shower in a row.
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Which shower works with a combi boiler?
Combi boilers give hot water at mains pressure, which suits most mixer showers well – as long as the boiler and your incoming water supply can deliver enough flow.
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Wet rooms: what's involved
A wet room replaces the shower tray with a fully waterproofed, level floor that drains to an outlet. It looks sleek and is great for accessibility – but it has to be built properly.
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Wall-hung toilets explained
Wall-hung toilets look neat and make floors easy to clean. Behind the wall, though, there's a steel frame and a hidden cistern – and that shapes how they're fitted and maintained.
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Plumbing in a washing machine or dishwasher
If the connections are already there, plumbing in an appliance takes minutes. If they're not – or the machine is moving – it's a small plumbing job worth doing properly.
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Installing an outside tap
An outside tap saves trailing hoses through the kitchen window. Fitted properly, with backflow protection and a way to isolate it for winter, it's a simple and useful upgrade.
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Water softeners explained
In hard water areas, a water softener can transform taps, showers and appliances. But it's not the right choice for every home – here's how to decide.
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Can you move a toilet?
Moving a toilet is the single biggest layout decision in a bathroom. Sometimes it's straightforward; sometimes it's the most expensive part of the project.
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Macerator toilets explained
A macerator can put a toilet or shower where normal drainage can't reach – a basement, loft or under-stairs cloakroom. They're clever, but they need to be treated with care.
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Hot water cylinders explained
If your home has an airing cupboard with a large copper or steel tank, it has a hot water cylinder. Understanding which type it is explains a lot about your showers and taps.
3 min readPlumbing costs
Indicative UK prices for common jobs, and what pushes a quote up or down.
How much does it cost to replace a toilet?
Replacing a toilet is one of the quickest bathroom upgrades. The fitting is usually affordable; the toilet you choose and what's found underneath make the biggest difference.
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How much does a new bathroom cost?
A bathroom refit is one of the bigger home improvement projects. Here's where the money goes – and why two quotes for 'a new bathroom' can be thousands of pounds apart.
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How much does it cost to install a shower?
A like-for-like shower swap can be a half-day job. A new walk-in shower with tiling and new pipework is a small building project. Here's what each tends to cost.
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How much does an emergency plumber cost?
Emergency plumbing costs more than a booked visit – that's the price of someone coming out at night, at weekends or at short notice. Knowing what's typical helps you avoid surprises.
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How much does it cost to add a downstairs toilet?
A downstairs toilet is one of the most practical additions to a family home. The cost depends mostly on how easily it can be connected to the drains.
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How much does it cost to replace a tap?
A new tap is a small change that makes a kitchen or bathroom feel newer. The fitting is usually quick – unless the old tap refuses to come out.
3 min readMaintenance and your home's plumbing
Stopcocks, old pipes, hard water and winter – the checks that prevent expensive repairs.
Stopcocks and isolating valves: a homeowner's guide
Knowing how to turn your water off is the single most useful piece of plumbing knowledge you can have. Here's where to look and how to make sure the valves actually work.
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Lead pipes in older homes
Lead was used for water pipes in many UK homes until it was banned for new installations around 1970. Some are still in use – and replacing them is generally recommended.
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Winter plumbing checklist
A few hours of preparation in autumn can prevent the most common – and most damaging – winter plumbing problems. Work through this list before the first frost.
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Limescale and hard water: protecting your plumbing
Much of England has hard water. Limescale is more than a cosmetic nuisance – it shortens the life of valves, showers and heating equipment.
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Plumbing checks when buying a house
A survey won't test every pipe. A few checks of your own on viewings – and a plumber's look after you move in – can save expensive surprises.
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Plumbing responsibilities for landlords and tenants
When a pipe leaks or the hot water fails in a rented home, who fixes it? In most cases it's the landlord – but tenants have responsibilities too.
3 min readHiring a plumber
Finding the right person, comparing quotes and knowing your rights if something goes wrong.
Questions to ask a plumber
A few straightforward questions before you agree to anything make it much easier to choose the right plumber – and avoid surprises later.
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How to compare plumber quotes
Two quotes for the same job can be hundreds of pounds apart. Usually it's because they're not really quoting for the same thing.
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How to find a good plumber
Good plumbers are busy, and the best ones often come by word of mouth. Here's how to find one you can trust – and how to check them before they start.
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Plumber, gas engineer or electrician: who do you need?
Water, gas, electricity and drains often meet in the same corner of a home. Calling the right person first saves time, money and – with gas – keeps everyone safe.
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What to do if a plumber does a bad job
Most plumbing jobs go smoothly. If yours didn't – a leak after a repair, an unfinished job or a bill that doesn't match the quote – here's how to put it right.
3 min readReady to book a plumber?
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