Plumbers in Newbury

Newbury's homes span several centuries, and so does their plumbing. Around the town centre and along the Kennet and Avon Canal, older houses have usually had their pipework altered many times, so a good plumber will trace the runs before cutting in. Homes built before about 1970 may still have a lead supply pipe between the stop tap and the street. Your plumber can tell you, and Thames Water can advise on replacing its section. Later family homes, in areas such as Wash Common and around Speen, Shaw and Donnington, often have original copper pipework, tank-fed hot water with a cold water tank in the loft, and stop taps that haven't been turned for years.

Newer homes, including those at Newbury Racecourse, have modern plumbing, and faults in the first couple of years may still be covered by the developer's warranty. Report them to the developer before you pay a plumber.

Thames Water supplies Newbury, and the water is hard. Limescale is behind many local plumbing calls: shower valves that stick, cartridge taps that drip, and cylinders and immersion heaters that slowly lose efficiency. You can check the hardness for your postcode on Thames Water's website.

Common plumbing jobs in Newbury include:

• Fixing dripping taps and replacing worn cartridges.
• Repairing leaks under sinks and baths, or behind the toilet.
• Replacing running toilet cistern parts.
• Clearing slow or blocked drains.
• Insulating loft tanks and pipes before winter, and emergency call-outs for burst or frozen pipes.

When choosing a plumber, ask for a written quote that says whether parts are included and how extra time is charged. Check whether there's a call-out fee or a minimum charge, and how long the work is guaranteed for. For anything involving your boiler or gas supply, use a Gas Safe registered engineer. Reviews on Trade Pilot are tied to real, invoiced jobs, so you can see what a plumber has done for other homeowners before you invite them round.