Plumbing in Redcliffe

Redcliffe lies just south of the Floating Harbour, between the city centre and Temple Meads, and is known for St Mary Redcliffe church. It’s one of Bristol’s more built-up neighbourhoods: council tower blocks and low-rise flats sit alongside apartments on the old wharves, office buildings, and a handful of older streets that survived redevelopment. Walkers and cyclists pass through along the waterside, and new housing and offices continue to go up around Temple Meads.

With so many people living in flats, most of the plumbing here is shared in some way. Water may be pumped up to higher floors, waste from several homes joins a single stack, and a fault in one flat can quickly become a problem for the neighbours. Pressure can vary between floors, and the stop tap for a flat is often somewhere you’d not think to look, like a meter cupboard on the landing. Hard Bristol water adds limescale to taps, showers and toilet valves, and shared waste stacks can block when fat, wipes or nappies are put down them by anyone in the building. A blocked stack, for example, can push water back up into the lowest flats on the line, even though the cause is several floors above. Knowing this early saves a lot of back and forth with neighbours and managing agents.

Common Redcliffe jobs

• Leaks through ceilings in blocks of flats
• Blocked sinks, baths and toilets
• Weak flow from taps and showers
• Washing machine and dishwasher connections
• Radiator valves and bleeding

Living in a high-rise

In a tall block, the line between your plumbing and the building’s isn’t always clear. As a rule, pipes inside your flat after your own stop tap are your responsibility, while risers, pumps and communal drains belong to the landlord or management company. If you rent from the council or a housing association, report problems to them first. If you own your flat, or the leak is clearly on your side, we can find and fix the leak and tell you where it started, which helps if you need to speak to the building’s managers. If you’re not sure where the problem is, call us and describe what you’re seeing, and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s a job for us or for the building. Keep the stop tap clear of clutter so you can reach it quickly.

Plumbing services in Redcliffe

• Emergency plumbing: burst pipes and serious leaks, aiming to arrive within the hour
• Blocked drains: sinks, toilets, gullies and manholes
• Leak repair: pipes, joints and appliance connections
• Radiators and heating: valves, cold spots and system pressure (no gas work)
• Taps and toilets: drips, running cisterns and replacements
• Bathroom and kitchen plumbing