Plumbing in Stapleton

Stapleton sits above the Frome valley on the north-east side of Bristol, between Eastville and Frenchay, with Snuff Mills and the river walks close by. It still has the feel of an old village in places, with stone cottages and larger period houses along its older roads. Around them are later streets of semi-detached and detached family homes.

Older stone houses come with their own plumbing habits. Walls are thick and uneven, so pipes are often surface-mounted or tucked into odd corners. Some homes still have a cold water tank in the loft feeding a hot water cylinder, and the pipework to them may have been added to over many years. In the later homes, the usual jobs are worn taps, leaking valves and drains slowed by fat, wipes and hard-water scale. Stapleton’s newer streets have their own patterns too. Kitchens and bathrooms have often been refitted more than once, and each refit tends to leave a mix of fittings behind. Isolation valves may be missing, and some outside drains sit close to mature trees, whose roots can find their way into older joints.

Common Stapleton jobs

• Leaks from older pipework in period houses, often hidden behind later work
• Loft tank and cylinder pipework problems, including overflow pipes that drip outside
• Dripping taps and worn ball valves, usually a quick fix
• Slow or blocked drains and gullies, including outside drains near trees
• Fitting a new outside garden tap, useful for long Stapleton gardens

Period homes and gardens

Many Stapleton homes have long gardens and older outbuildings, and the water pipes and drains serving them can run a fair distance underground. A leak on a buried supply pipe may show up only as a damp patch on the lawn or a meter that keeps turning when everything is off. If you suspect a hidden leak, turn the stop tap off and check the meter. We can then trace and repair it and talk you through options for anything that needs replacing.

Older homes in Stapleton can also suffer in a hard frost. Pipes in lofts, outbuildings and on north-facing walls are the most at risk. Lagging them, keeping the loft hatch closed and letting a little heat reach cold corners all help. If a pipe does freeze, turn the water off at the stop tap and call us before it thaws, as that is often when the split shows itself and water starts to escape.

Plumbing services in Stapleton

• 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