Plumber in Birmingham for Homes, Lets and Businesses

Some jobs cannot wait. A burst pipe in a loft, a split flexi hose under the sink, a toilet overflowing through the ceiling below or a cylinder dripping from the pressure relief valve all need water off and a repair made before damage spreads. We treat these as urgent and prioritise them in the diary.

On arrival we isolate the supply, find the failed part and make a permanent repair wherever the fitting and access allow. If a proper repair needs a part we do not carry, we make the system safe and watertight first so you can use the rest of the house, then return with the part.

• Burst and split copper, plastic and lead pipework
• Failed compression joints and perished tap connectors
• Overflowing cisterns and stuck fill valves
• Leaking stopcocks and seized isolation valves
• Water coming through ceilings from baths and showers

Heating and plumbing overlap constantly. A radiator that is cold at the bottom, a combi losing pressure every few days or a noisy pump can all have a plumbing cause, such as a weeping radiator valve, a failed expansion vessel charge or sludge collecting in the low points of the system.

On the water side we replace radiators, TRVs and lockshield valves, balance systems so the far rooms warm up, fix pressure loss, bleed and refill, and repair leaks on heating pipework. Anything that involves the gas side of an appliance is different: gas work in the UK must by law be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and you can check the engineer's ID card and the public register before any work starts.

If your boiler is showing a fault code or has stopped firing, our boiler repair service covers the diagnosis in more depth.

This is the bread and butter of the job, and most of it can be finished in one visit when the right parts are to hand.

Taps and toilets

A dripping tap is usually a worn washer on older pillar taps or a ceramic cartridge on modern mixers. Toilets that run constantly tend to have a tired flush valve seal or a fill valve that no longer shuts off. We replace the part rather than the whole unit when that is the sensible option, and fit new taps, pans and close-coupled suites when it is not.

Showers and pipework

Poor shower flow can come from a scaled head, a sticking thermostatic cartridge or a mismatch between the valve and the water pressure in the house. We fit mixer and electric shower valves (the electrical connection is carried out in line with Part P requirements), add isolation valves, reroute pipework for kitchen refits and replace old lead supply pipe inside the property.

Not every bathroom project is a full strip out. Many people want a new basin and vanity unit, a bath swapped for a shower tray, or a second toilet squeezed into a cloakroom. Each has plumbing questions that are worth answering before anything is ordered.

• Waste falls: a shower tray or basin needs enough fall to the soil stack, and a low tray may need a riser kit or pump.
• Water pressure: some thermostatic valves and rain heads need more pressure than a gravity system gives.
• Soil connection: a new toilet position depends on how close it can get to the stack or a suitable branch.
• Sealing: trays and baths need firm bedding and correct silicone work so they do not flex and leak.

We fit sanitaryware, brassware and wastes, and replumb supplies to suit the new layout. For larger bathroom projects we can plan the plumbing first fit so the tiler and electrician are working to fixed positions.

We do not quote a figure over the phone for a job we have not seen, because the same symptom can have a very different fix. A leak under a bath might be a loose waste nut, or a joint buried under a tiled panel.

What drives the price of plumbing work:

• Access: pipework under a floor, behind tiles or boxed in takes longer to reach and reinstate.
• Parts: a standard washer or valve costs far less than a discontinued tap body or specialist cartridge.
• Pipe material: joining new copper or plastic onto old lead or iron takes extra fittings and care.
• Scope: fixing one fault versus renewing a whole run of corroded pipe.

Once we have looked, we explain what we found and what the options are, and we agree the price with you before starting. If something unexpected turns up once a panel is off, we stop and talk to you before going further.

Urgent jobs are prioritised, and a few minutes of action on your side can save a lot of damage while we are on the way.

• Turn off the stopcock. In most Birmingham homes it is under the kitchen sink, in a cupboard near the front door or under the stairs. Turn it clockwise.
• If water is near light fittings or sockets, switch that circuit off at the consumer unit and do not touch wet switches.
• Open cold taps to drain the pipework, and flush toilets to empty the cisterns.
• On a heating leak, switch the boiler off so it does not keep refilling or overheating.
• Move furniture, and put a bucket under drips through the ceiling. A small hole in a bulging ceiling lets water drain in one place.

If the stopcock is seized or you cannot find it, tell us when you book so we come ready to isolate at the outside boundary box.

Most of our plumbing services are for homeowners and tenants, but we also work for landlords, letting agents and small commercial premises such as shops, cafes, surgeries and offices.

Rented property brings its own pattern of work: fixing faults reported by tenants, replacing worn taps and toilet parts between tenancies, and making sure every tenant knows where the stopcock is. In the 1960s tower blocks around Nechells and Newtown, jobs often involve shared risers and communal pipework, so isolating one flat without affecting the others needs some care and, often, the building manager's cooperation.

For small commercial sites we handle staff kitchens, toilets and urinals, hand wash basins, water heaters and wastes. Where a business cannot close, we plan the work around opening hours and keep the supply to the rest of the building live wherever the pipework layout allows.