General Plumbing Maintenance Specialists

verified Professional Service calendar_month Pick a Time That Suits You
history Typical Duration 1 Hour
category Service Category Plumbing
payments Starting Price From £90

Service Overview

An hour spent going round the plumbing before something fails: the stop valve, the small valves under sinks and toilets, the tank in the loft if there is one, and the pipes that freeze. It is a chance to turn valves nobody has touched in years, and to catch parts that have started to drip.

We tell you what we found as we go. Small things, such as a valve that will not shut or a washer that drips, we can put right on the same visit. Anything bigger we price before we start.

We charge £90 an hour for this work, with a one-hour minimum; after the first hour, time is billed in 30-minute blocks. Pick a time that suits you online: a £50 deposit secures your slot and comes off the final bill.

What we usually find

  • A stop valve that will not turn, or will not shut. Left untouched for years it can seize, and the day it is needed is the day of a leak.
  • A pipe dripping from the wall outside. It is a warning pipe from a toilet cistern or a loft tank, and it means the valve that fills it is not shutting off.
  • A loft tank without a proper lid. The Water Fittings Regulations ask for a storage tank to have a cover that keeps out light and insects, insulation against frost, and an overflow with a screen.
  • Bare pipes in a cold place. Thames Water names pipes in unheated lofts, garages and utility rooms, along cold outside walls and to outside taps as the ones most likely to freeze.

The visit, step by step

  1. We find the inside stop valve, turn it off and on again, and check the water stops.
  2. We try each isolating valve under the sinks, toilets and appliances, and look at the joints and hoses round them.
  3. In the loft, we look at the tank's lid, insulation and overflow, and the pipes up there.
  4. We put right what can be done in the time booked, and tell you what is left and what it would cost.

Before we arrive

  • Make sure we can get into the loft, the cupboard under the stairs and any utility room or garage with pipes in it.
  • If you do not know where your stop valve is, Thames Water says it is usually under the kitchen sink. We will find it if it is not.
  • Write down anything you have noticed: a tap that drips, a toilet that runs, a noise in the pipes, a damp patch.

What is included

  • Finding the inside stop valve and checking it shuts the water off
  • Trying the isolating valves under sinks, toilets and appliances
  • Looking at the hoses and joints round them
  • Checking the loft tank's lid, insulation and overflow
  • Small fixes on the same visit, such as a washer or a valve
  • A list of anything left, with what it would cost

What is not

  • A boiler service or any gas check: those are for our Gas Safe registered engineer, on the boiler page

Questions about general plumbing maintenance

What happens if the stop valve is seized? expand_more
We do not force it, because a stop valve forced after years can start to leak at the spindle. We tell you, and a stop valve that does not shut is worth replacing: until it is, a burst cannot be stopped inside the house.
What time of year suits a check? expand_more
Before the first frost. Thames Water asks for bare pipes in lofts, garages and outside to be lagged before a cold spell, and the check shows which of yours need it.

Deposits, cancelling and paying are on our FAQ page.

Worth doing in the same visit

Tap Repairs from £90 Toilet Repairs from £90 Pipe Repairs from £90

Areas we cover

Ashtead Banstead Cheam Chessington Cobham Dorking Epsom Esher Guildford Kingston upon Thames Leatherhead Molesey New Malden Reigate Richmond Surbiton Sutton Twickenham Walton-on-Thames & Weybridge Wimbledon Worcester Park & Ewell
Zapryan - Owner & Lead Plumber
Your Local Expert

Hi, I'm Zapryan – Owner & Lead Plumber in Surrey

I've been in the construction industry since 2004, and I believe the secret to stress-free renovations is simple: turn up on time, manage the trades properly, and do the job right the first time. I personally survey every project and work alongside our teams on-site until the final checklist is complete. You'll always have a direct line to me, and my personal guarantee that the work is finished to perfection.