General Plumbing

Emergency Plumber

When a pipe bursts or a drain backs up, the first job is stopping the damage and the second is fixing what caused it. We take on urgent domestic plumbing faults across Brighton and the surrounding Sussex towns, and we put things back tidily.

Call 01273 911551
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What's involved

Urgent calls cover a lot of ground; these are the faults that come up most often.

Burst and Leaking Pipes

Isolating the supply, cutting out the failed section, remaking the joint and pressure testing before the system goes back into service.

Blocked and Backing-Up Drains

Clearing traps, waste runs and gullies, then checking why it blocked so the same thing does not happen again.

Overflowing Toilets and Cisterns

Repairing or replacing float valves, flush mechanisms and overflows so the cistern fills and shuts off as it should.

Hot Water and Heating Faults

Fault-finding on boilers, cylinders and controls when the heating or hot water has stopped; domestic gas work only.

Stopping the damage, then fixing the cause

Water finds its way into everything, so the first job on an urgent call is almost never the repair itself. It is isolating the supply, getting the flow stopped and taking the pressure off whatever has failed. Only then can we look properly at what went wrong, which is usually a corroded section of pipe, a joint that has worked loose, a failed valve, or a blockage that has been building quietly for months.

If water is running while you wait, turn the stopcock off. It is normally under the kitchen sink or close to where the mains pipe enters the house. Switch off any electrics near standing water, and leave the affected tap, toilet or appliance alone until we have had a look at it.

Turning the water off is the single most useful thing you can do before we arrive.

What we do when we get there

We trace the fault rather than treat the symptom. On a leak that means following the pipe run back to its source, which is rarely where the water is appearing; water travels along joists and under floorboards before it drops through a ceiling. On a blockage it means clearing the trap or the run and then checking the run itself, because a drain that has backed up once on grease or wipes will do it again.

The repair depends on what we find. A failed compression joint gets remade. A split length of copper gets cut out and a new piece put in. A seized stop valve gets changed while the supply is already off, which saves a second visit later on. Where a permanent repair needs a part we do not have with us, we make the system safe and watertight, explain exactly what is still outstanding, and arrange to come back and finish it.

More information

Faults we are called out to most

  • Burst or split pipes, particularly after a cold snap
  • Leaks appearing through a ceiling or running down a wall
  • Drains and waste pipes backing up into a sink, bath or shower
  • Toilets overflowing, or cisterns that will not stop filling
  • Taps, stop valves and isolation valves that will not shut off
  • No hot water or no heating after a boiler fault

Anything involving domestic gas is covered by our Gas Safe registration, 568345, and we are an accredited Vaillant installer, so a boiler that has locked out or a cylinder that has stopped heating is on our list rather than somebody else's. This is domestic work only.

The tidy-up is part of the job, not a favour.

Once the immediate problem is dealt with

We will tell you plainly whether the rest of the pipework is worth leaving alone. Old lead or steel pipe, a run of tired compression fittings, or a cylinder that has been weeping for a while are all worth knowing about before they become the next call. Nothing gets sold to you that you do not need; you get the picture and you decide.

If a leak has taken a bathroom or a kitchen with it, putting the room back is something we can take on rather than hand off. Complete bathroom design and installation is our speciality, from strip-out through to the finished room, and kitchen plumbing and first and second fix work for extensions and loft conversions are part of what we do too.

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 a real address you can call in at, and the number is 01273 911551.

Before you call

Straight answers to the questions people ask us most when something has gone wrong.

What counts as an urgent plumbing problem?
A burst or leaking pipe, a drain backing up into a sink or bath, an overflowing toilet, or a tap or valve that will not shut off are all worth treating as urgent. Loss of hot water or heating can be urgent too, particularly in cold weather or where there are small children or elderly people in the house. If you are unsure, describe it to us on the phone and we will tell you honestly how it looks.
What should I do before you arrive?
Turn the water off at the internal stopcock, which is usually under the kitchen sink or close to where the mains pipe enters the house. Switch off any electrics near standing water and stop using the affected tap, toilet or appliance. Where it is safe to do so, contain or mop up standing water so it does not spread into flooring or through a ceiling below.
Can the problem be fixed on the first visit?
Often it can, because most urgent faults come down to a joint, a valve or a section of pipe. Where a permanent repair needs a part we do not have with us, we make the system safe and watertight first, then arrange a return visit to finish the job properly. We will tell you which of those two you are looking at before we start.
Can you look at a boiler or hot water fault as well as a leak?
Yes. We are Gas Safe registered for domestic gas work under registration 568345 and we are an accredited Vaillant installer, so a boiler that has locked out or a cylinder that has stopped heating is something we can take on. This covers domestic properties only. If you can smell gas, leave the property and call the national gas emergency service before you call us.
How do I get a quote for an urgent repair?
Call us on 01273 911551 and describe what is happening, and we will talk you through what the work is likely to involve and what it will cost. Pricing depends on the fault, the parts needed and how much access work there is, so it is always worth asking on the phone rather than guessing. We would far rather have that conversation up front than surprise you afterwards.
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. If you are right on the edge of that area it is still worth ringing to ask.
Will you leave a mess behind?
No. We use dust sheets, protect flooring and worktops, and manage draining and cutting so water and debris stay contained. Clearing up is part of the job, and old parts and packaging leave with us.
Can you put right the damage a leak has caused?
We can take on the plumbing side in full, including replacing damaged pipework, fittings, radiators and sanitaryware. Where a leak has ruined a bathroom, complete bathroom design and installation is our speciality, so we can take the room from strip-out through to finished. Kitchen plumbing and first and second fix work for extensions and loft conversions are part of what we do as well.

Let's get the water stopped

Tell us what's going on and we'll give you a straight answer on what needs doing.

Call 01273 911551