Burst pipes

Burst pipes

A result of repeated pressure, pipes are prone to bursting after a continual period of freezing and expansion. Commonly occurring during winter, there are several measures you can take to protect your pipes in cold weather. If a pipe in your home freezes and then...
Frozen pipes

Frozen pipes

If one or more of the taps in your home aren’t working and you suspect that your pipes may have frozen, there are many things you can do to resolve the issue. Before you take any action, always check with your neighbours and see if they’re also experiencing...
Blocked toilet

Blocked toilet

Easily clogged with too much toilet paper, a blocked toilet is relatively straightforward to fix. As soon as you notice that your toilet is blocked, you should avoid flushing as this could cause it to overflow, potentially flooding your bathroom. A messy job, if you’d...
Blocked kitchen pipes

Blocked kitchen pipes

Similar to unblocking your bath or shower with bicarbonate of soda, this method also relies on a chemical reaction to dislodge debris. Quick and easy to do, you can unblock your kitchen pipes within a few minutes. Start by crumbing three Alka-Seltzer tablets down your...
Blocked soil pipe

Blocked soil pipe

Similar to the tell-tale signs of a leaking soil pipe, if your soil pipe is blocked you’ll smell an unpleasant odour and notice that your toilet is draining slowly. If you’d rather not complete this messy job yourself, contact your local plumbing engineer for help. If...
Preventing blocked drains

Preventing blocked drains

To keep your drains in good working order there are several things you can do: Check your drains regularly If you keep an eye on your drains regularly, any blockages and faults that could cause you problems in future are more likely to be spotted and dealt with as...
Blocked drains

Blocked drains

If you’ve got a blocked drain it’s important to stop using it as soon as possible. That means not running your taps, not flushing the toilet and not using appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers. If you suspect you have a blocked drain you should contact...
Leaking sink

Leaking sink

While it’s a problem that can cause a lot of cosmetic damage, a leak under your sink is fairly straightforward to diagnose and repair. Here are some possible causes: Your pipe isn’t fitted correctly If your pipe isn’t fitted correctly, you’ll need to fix...
Blocked bath or shower

Blocked bath or shower

If your bath or shower fills up with water while in use and takes a long time to drain afterwards, it’s likely that you have a build up of debris in your drain. Often blocked with a mixture of hair and dirt, use these tried and tested remedies: on your bath or shower...
Drain and sewer maintenance

Drain and sewer maintenance

If you experience any difficulties with drains and sewers, both at home and on public property, it’s important to know who to call and how to rectify any problems. Drain maintenance Generally speaking, homeowners and tenants are generally responsible for their...
Leaking stopcock

Leaking stopcock

The first port of call when you have a plumbing or heating emergency, your stopcock is the gateway to your water supply. If you discover a leak from your stopcock you should contact your local plumbing engineer or, if you’re familiar with DIY plumbing, attempt to fix...
Toilet won’t flush

Toilet won’t flush

If you’re having trouble getting your toilet to flush, and don’t want to resort to the bucket and water method, check these four components are working as they should: The float ball Your cistern should be full of water. If it isn’t draw your attention to the big...
Leaking water tank

Leaking water tank

If you think your water tank is leaking, before you take any action you’ll need to be sure that water isn’t coming from an adjacent pipe. It’s also possible that condensation could be dripping down from the side of the tank or connected pipes, leaving a suspicious...
Blocked sinks

Blocked sinks

If any of your sinks aren’t draining fully after use you may have a blockage in the waste pipes or the sewer line. Common causes are food debris and cooking fats. Relatively easy to unblock yourself, try the two methods below: Plunging Firstly block the overflow holes...
Leaking bath or shower

Leaking bath or shower

While no leak should ever be taken lightly, in the case of a leaking bath or shower, immediate attention is required. If you’re not confident with DIY instructions or aren’t sure if you can complete the job on your own, contact your local plumbing specialist who’ll be...
Stop a continually running toilet

Stop a continually running toilet

Wasting a large amount of water, a toilet that’s running continually is inconvenient and noisy. Relatively straightforward to repair, check these three components are in good working order: The flapper valve The rubber seal that sits at the bottom of the cistern, a...
Fix a broken flush handle

Fix a broken flush handle

Used constantly, it’s no surprise that after some time the flush handle on your toilet will begin to show signs of wear and tear. If the flush on your toilet has stopped working you’ll need to replace it following the instructions below. Removing your old flush handle...
Leaking toilet

Leaking toilet

If you’ve noticed small pools of water where your toilet meets the floor or that the flooring around your toilet is especially spongy it’s possible that your toilet may be leaking. Likely to be caused by a damaged cistern, a cracked toilet pan, or a leaking overflow...
Leaking soil pipe

Leaking soil pipe

If you suspect you have a leaking soil pipe, it’s easily diagnosable due to the unpleasant smell and the slow functionality of your toilet. While there are many potential causes such as cracked cement or a loose connector, diagnosing and fixing a problem related to...
Leaking and dripping taps

Leaking and dripping taps

A nuisance rather than a plumbing disaster, leaking and dripping taps sound annoying, waste water and leave stains in your sink. If you’d like to attempt to fix the problem yourself follow these simple tips below: Turn off the water supply Switch off the water supply...
Leaking pipes

Leaking pipes

Similar to dealing with a burst pipe, there are several things you can do to prevent serious damage to your home following a leaking pipe. Most common in the cold winter months, as soon as you discover a leak you should: Turn off your water supply Switch off the water...
Identifying and fixing a leak

Identifying and fixing a leak

A common problem in the colder months, when pipes freeze and expand it’s sometimes challenging to find the exact origin of a leak and repair it effectively. Before you can inspect your pipes it’s important to first turn off your water supply. Normally to be found...