Before reporting a plumbing repair, please read the below guidance and check our repair responsibilities page.
Avoiding blockages
Blockages in the kitchen sink waste are usually caused by the build-up of fat and items like tea leaves. It is a good idea to clean these waste pipes with hot water and soda crystals at least once a month as blockages in the sink waste pipe may affect the performance of your washing machine waste suplys
Please do not put nappies, toilet wipes or other waste items into the toilet. Make sure that toilet fresheners or cleaners are securely fixed to the rim of the toilet pan so that they cannot fall into the toilet pan or landlords communal soil and vent pies and cause a blockage. If blockages do occur as not following the advice given, the landlord may re-charge you for any attributed costs to clear the blockage.
How to unblock a bath, basin or sink
If a waste pipe is not blocked but water is slow to drain away:
- Put a bowl under the trap
- Unscrew the joints and remove the trap
- Clean the trap thoroughly and replace it, checking that the seals are in place and all Joints are screwed tightly.
- Note: most if not all bath panels are mechanically fixed into place and sealed to abutting edges with a mastic sealant. Caution is required if you remove this bath panel and the installation thereafter.
If it is blocked completely:
- empty out most of the water
- hold a rag tightly above the overflow opening
- put the plunger over the plughole and use a downward pump action
- Clean out the trap after clearing the blockage.
How to unblock a toilet
If the pan is already full, remove some of the water into a bucket using a jug, bottle or bowl.
- Push the brush or plunger to the bottom of the pan.
- Pump it up and down vigorously about ten times. This creates a vacuum and pressure, which may shift the blockage.
- Flush the toilet to see whether the blockage has gone.
You may need to repeat this several times before the toilet flushes normally.
If there is no improvement, please contact us.
If you have no water supply
If you are not getting water through the taps in your kitchen, please check if your neighbours are having the same problem.
If they are, check that the company supplying your water is not carrying out any maintenance works in the area before reporting it to us.
If your neighbours’ water supply is normal, contact us.
Water Leaks
If a leak happens in your home, you need to control it until help arrives.
How to control a water leak
You can normally do this by turning the water off using the stopcock or gate valves or by turning off the service valves to the pipework feeding the kitchen, wash hand basin, toilet pan cistern, or bath which isolates the immediate area
Stopcocks are usually under the kitchen sink, and gate valves are on the pipes coming from the cold-water storage tank.
Make sure you know where your stopcock or gate valves are, and keep them in working order by turning them until fully closed and then opening them again twice a year.
If you turn the supply from the tank off, you may need to turn your heating off. If you aren’t sure, ask when you report the leak.
If electric sockets, light fittings or electrical appliances are getting wet, do not touch them. Turn the supply off at the consumer unit and contact us for help.
Bulging ceiling
If your ceiling is bulging as a result of a leak, put a large bowl or bucket under the bulge and use a sharp tool such as a screwdriver to pierce a hole to let the water through. This will prevent your ceiling from falling.
Do not do this if the bulge is near a light fitting.