Kitchens

Appliance Plumbing

Dishwashers, washing machines, plumbed fridges, sinks and filter taps connected properly, with the supply, waste and isolation valves done to last. We fit and leak-test kitchen and utility appliances for homes across Brighton and Sussex.

Call 01273 911551
Washing machine and Miele tumble dryer under a wood-effect worktop with white cupboardsWashing machine and Miele tumble dryer under a wood-effect worktop with white cupboards

What's involved

Most appliance work falls into one of these, and often two or three of them on the same visit.

Dishwashers and Washing Machines

Fitting the supply, the waste spigot and an isolation valve, then running the machine through a fill and drain to check every joint dry.

Plumbed Fridges and Filter Taps

Running a dedicated cold supply to an ice maker, water dispenser or filtered tap, with the filter housing sited where you can actually reach it.

Sinks, Taps and Waste

Fitting sinks and mixer taps, remaking traps and waste runs, and replacing tired isolation valves while the pipework is open.

Domestic Gas Hobs

Connecting gas hobs in domestic properties and testing on completion, carried out under our Gas Safe registration.

The connections nobody ever looks at again

The awkward thing about appliance plumbing is that all of it disappears the moment it is finished, shut behind a cupboard door or slid back under a worktop. A joint weeping a drop a day is invisible for months, and by the time it shows itself the chipboard base of the unit has swollen and the floor underneath has gone with it. So the work that matters here is the work you will never see: the valve, the joint, the waste connection and the test at the end.

We start by looking at what is already there. That means the supply pipework and whether it has an isolation valve on it, the waste run and the state of the trap, and whether there is room behind the appliance for hoses to sit without kinking. Older kitchens often have a bare tee off the cold with nothing to shut it, which means draining down the house every time an appliance is changed. If we are in there anyway, putting a proper isolation valve in saves a great deal of bother later.

Often the appliance is fine and the pipework behind it is the problem.

Doing the connection

Supply first. We isolate, cut in cleanly, and fit the valve and connection to suit the appliance rather than forcing the appliance to suit the pipe. Waste next: a dishwasher or washing machine spigot has to be connected and clipped so it cannot work loose, and the hose has to rise and fall correctly or the machine will siphon or drain back on itself. Where a trap has been adapted one time too many by a previous fit, we replace it rather than add another fitting to the pile.

Then it is tested, and tested properly. Not a look and a nod, but the appliance run through a fill and a drain, the joints checked dry afterwards, and the cupboard base checked again once water has been through the system under pressure. Gas hobs are a separate matter: the connection is carried out under our Gas Safe registration, 568345, and tested on completion. That is domestic properties only.

More information

What we are usually asked to connect

  • Dishwashers and washing machines, including swapping an old machine for a new one
  • Plumbed fridges, ice makers and chilled water dispensers
  • Kitchen sinks, mixer taps and instant hot water taps
  • Under-sink water filters and softeners
  • Domestic gas hobs
  • Outside taps and utility room appliances

The joint you cannot see is the one that matters.

When the pipework has to come first

Sometimes the honest answer is that the connection is the easy part. A run of old pipe with nothing to isolate it, a waste that is already struggling, or an appliance going somewhere there is no supply at all: each of those means pipework before appliance. We do first and second fix plumbing for extensions, loft conversions and new builds, so running a new supply and waste to a different part of a kitchen or utility room is ordinary work for us rather than a special job. We will explain what the route involves, and what it means for floors and units, before anything is lifted.

Appliance work also tends to surface during a kitchen or bathroom refit, when everything is out and the pipework is finally visible. That is the cheapest moment to put right anything tired, and it is worth taking.

We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns. Our premises at 58 Warren Road, Woodingdean, are open if you would rather talk it through in person, or you can call us on 01273 911551.

Before you book

The things people usually want to know before we come out and connect an appliance.

Can you connect an appliance I have bought myself?
Yes, and that is most of this work. Have the appliance and its instructions to hand and we will fit it to the manufacturer's requirements. We do not need to have supplied the machine.
Do I need an isolation valve fitted?
It is not compulsory, but it is well worth having. An isolation valve lets one appliance be shut off without draining the rest of the house, which makes every future change or repair simpler and cheaper. If there is not one on the supply we will usually suggest putting one in while the pipework is open.
Why does my dishwasher smell or drain badly?
That is usually the waste rather than the machine: a hose sitting too low, a trap that has been adapted one time too many, or a partial blockage at the spigot connection. Reworking the waste run so it rises and falls correctly normally clears it. We check the trap and the run, not just the appliance.
Can you plumb in a fridge with an ice maker or water dispenser?
Yes. It needs a dedicated cold supply run to the back of the appliance, usually with a filter in line, and the filter housing has to sit somewhere you can reach to change it. We plan that in rather than tucking it behind the fridge where it cannot be got at.
Do you connect gas hobs?
Yes, in domestic properties. Gas work is carried out under our Gas Safe registration, 568345, and the connection is tested on completion. We do not take on commercial gas work.
What if there is no water supply where I want the appliance?
Then it is a pipework job before it is an appliance job. We can run new supply and waste to a different part of the kitchen or utility room, which is the same first and second fix work we do for extensions and loft conversions. We will walk you through the route and what it means for floors and units before we start.
How do I get a quote?
Call us on 01273 911551 with the appliance, where it is going and roughly what is there already, and we will talk you through the work and the cost. If it is more involved, such as a new supply run, we would rather come and look than guess down the phone. Either way you will know the price before we begin.
Which areas do you cover?
We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns. Our premises at 58 Warren Road in Woodingdean are open if you would rather call in and talk it through.

Let's get your appliance connected

Tell us what you're fitting and where it's going, and we'll take it from there.

Call 01273 911551