GUIDE
Before you call a plumber
Five minutes of preparation gets you a faster, more accurate price. Start with safety.
IN SHORT
If you smell gas, leave and call 0800 111 999. If water is pouring out, turn off your stopcock. Otherwise, take photos, note what's happening and since when, sort access and parking, and ask what the price includes before you say yes.
First: is it an emergency?
If you smell gas: don't use switches or naked flames, open windows, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
If water is pouring out: turn off your stopcock. Then open the cold taps to drain the pipes.
If water is near electrics: don't touch anything wet. Only switch off at the consumer unit if you can reach it safely and it's dry.
Find your stopcock
Your stopcock turns off the mains water to your home. It's usually under the kitchen sink, but can be in a cupboard, under the stairs or near the front door. In some flats it's in a communal area. Find it now, check it turns, and show everyone who lives with you.
Most sinks, toilets and appliances also have a small isolation valve on the pipe feeding them. Turning it a quarter turn with a flat screwdriver shuts off just that one fitting.
Take photos and a short video
A photo of the problem, one of the area around it, and one of any make or model label. For noises and drips, a ten-second video says more than a paragraph. Good photos help a plumber bring the right part and give you a more accurate price.
Note what, where and since when
- What's happening, and what you've already tried.
- Where it is in the home, and how easy it is to get to.
- When it started, and whether it's getting worse.
Sort access, parking and pets
Say who'll be in, where the plumber can park, and whether there are pets or anything else to know about. Clear the area around the problem if you can: empty the cupboard under the sink, move things away from the radiator.
What to ask before you say yes
- What's included in the price, and what might add to it.
- When they can come, and roughly how long it will take.
- Whether they have public liability insurance.
- For gas work, their Gas Safe registration, which you can check on the Gas Safe Register.
Keep the agreed price and details in writing. On Fill My Day, that's the app's messages. For more on checks and quotes, read how to find a good plumber and what plumber registrations mean.
The one-minute checklist
Safe?
No gas smell, no water near electrics, stopcock off if water is escaping.
Photos
The problem, the area around it and any labels.
Details
What, where, since when, and when suits you.
Access
Who's in, where to park, and anything to know.
How Fill My Day will help
Once it launches in Bristol, you'll post the job once with your photos and timing, and hear from checked plumbers nearby who have time for it. See Fill My Day for your home.
GOOD TO KNOW
Questions,
answered straight.
Where is my stopcock?
Usually under the kitchen sink. It can also be in a cupboard, under the stairs, near the front door, or in a communal area in some flats.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Don't use switches or naked flames, open windows, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
What is an isolation valve?
A small valve on the pipe feeding a sink, toilet or appliance. A quarter turn with a flat screwdriver shuts off water to just that fitting.
What should I ask a plumber before booking?
What the price includes, when they can come and how long it will take, whether they have public liability insurance, and for gas work, their Gas Safe registration.
FIRST STOP / BRISTOL
Bristol.
You’re up first.
The app is in development and isn't taking bookings yet. Plumbers first, other trades to follow.