HERTFORDSHIRE, BEDFORDSHIRE & CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Emergency Plumber in Broxbourne
Water coming through a ceiling in Broxbourne, or none coming out of the taps? Call 01462 506 374 at any hour. A person answers, helps you shut it off and gives you the charges first.
Is it tonight's problem or tomorrow's
A lot of calls we take after dark can be made safe and left. That matters, because the weekday rate from 8am carries no call-out fee. The ones that cannot wait are fairly obvious once you look.
Now: water still escaping with the stopcock turned off
Now: a ceiling sagging, or water running through a light
Now: foul water rising from a toilet, shower or gully indoors
Morning: one tap, toilet or appliance you have isolated
If you are torn, phone and describe it. We would sooner tell you it can wait than charge you for a visit you did not need.
Get a fixed price before we start
Call and talk to an engineer, or send us the details and we will come back to you with a price.
Shutting down, step by step
The stopcock
Turn it clockwise until it stops. Old gate valves that have sat untouched in hard water can seize, so work it gently back and forth rather than forcing it.
The electrics
If water has reached sockets, a ceiling light or the consumer unit, switch off at the main switch as long as you can reach it from somewhere dry.
The heat
Turn off the boiler and any immersion heater, then open a cold tap on the ground floor to drain what is left. If you have a loft tank, open the hot taps as well, as the tank will keep feeding a leak until it empties.
Finding the stopcock in Broxbourne housing
Old houses and inns from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries still line the High Street, and the Broxbourne New River Conservation Area takes in listed buildings on the High Road, Bell Lane and Cozens Lane East. Mains water came to these buildings long after they were built, so the valve is wherever a plumber could reach at the time.
In those older buildings, try under the kitchen sink first, then along the front wall at floor level, in a cellar where there is one, or behind a panel under the stairs. Later kitchens often box it in.
In post-war and newer homes across EN10 it is nearly always under the kitchen sink, in a downstairs cloakroom or in a utility cupboard, and on recent builds it may be a lever valve that closes with a quarter turn.
The calls we answer at night
Burst pipes in lofts, under floors and behind kitchen units
No water to the property, or pressure too low to use
Overflowing cisterns and loft tanks that will not stop filling
Leaking cylinders soaking an airing cupboard
Blocked drains and toilets backing up inside the house
We also deal with failed shower and heating pumps that have started to leak, and with leaks from joints and valves under baths and sinks. Our engineers are our own employees and the vans are fully stocked, so most of these can be made safe on the first visit.
Drains, sewers and whose pipe it is
When foul water comes up inside, the first question is where the blockage sits. Since 2011 most shared drains and lateral pipes beyond your boundary belong to the sewerage company rather than the homeowner, so a blockage out in the shared section is theirs to clear.
We carry high pressure jetting equipment on the van. Where the cause is not obvious, a CCTV drain survey gives you a recording and a written report that insurers accept.
Answered by a person, day or night
A genuine 24 hour line, the charges explained before anyone sets off, and the common parts on the van.
Leaks you cannot see yet
A patch spreading on a ceiling, a water meter that keeps moving with every tap shut or a boiler losing pressure all suggest a leak out of sight. Lifting whole floors to find it is rarely necessary.
The engineer isolates sections of pipework one at a time and watches which part loses water. Once the search is narrowed, only the right board or panel comes up.
How out of hours pricing works
Weekday visits from 8am until 5pm carry no call-out fee at all. Plumbing is £140 + VAT (£168 including VAT) for the first hour, which is the minimum, then £60 + VAT for each half hour.
At any other time, each attendance carries a £50 + VAT (£60 including VAT) call-out on top of the hourly rate. The out of hours plumbing rate is given to you on the phone before an engineer leaves, and 50% of the first hour is paid up front.
Should the problem prove bigger or different once the engineer sees it, work pauses and you get a price for the rest first. Every rate is on the pricing page.
Gas, the phone call and afterwards
A smell of gas is not a plumbing call. Go outside, do not touch light switches, and ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 before anyone else.
For water, whoever answers asks where it is coming from, whether it has stopped and whether electrics are involved, then gives you the charges. Once the damage is stopped, you can have a written note of what failed and what was done for your insurer. Our Gas Safe registration number is 956889, and the work carries a 12 month labour guarantee.
★★★★★
Rated 4.9 on Google by the people we work for
Why choose Vantage
Rated 4.9 on Google from more than 700 reviews across Google, Checkatrade and Trustatrader. Qualified, accredited engineers, a fixed price before any work begins and a labour guarantee on every job, from an established local company with an office team you can actually reach. No job too small.
Gas Safe registered
Company registration 956889. Every gas engineer carries their own Gas Safe ID card, and you can ask to see it.
Refcom F-Gas certified
REF1024550. Legally required for air conditioning installation and servicing, and we hold it.
CHAS Elite accredited
Veriforce CHAS assessed for health and safety, which is why commercial clients and landlords use us.
City & Guilds and BPEC qualified
Qualified, insured engineers on every job. No subcontracted strangers.
700+ reviews, 4.9 on Google
Across Google, Checkatrade and Trustatrader. Read them before you book.
Labour guarantee on every job
12 months on repairs, installations and everything else. Two years on a full bathroom refit. If anything we did develops a fault, we come back and put it right.
Fixed price before we start
The price is agreed with you before any work begins. No hidden extras on the invoice.
24/7, answered by a person
The emergency line is answered every day of the year by someone who can send an engineer, not a call centre.
Fully stocked vans
Five vans carrying the parts that fail most often, so most jobs are fixed on the first visit.
An office team behind every job
An established local business with multiple engineers and a dedicated office team to keep you informed.
Vaillant myREWARDS and Ideal Max accredited
Accredited installer status means extended manufacturer warranties on the boilers we fit.
Emergency response within the hour
Our average response to an emergency call is under an hour across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Trusted & Accredited Professionals
Frequently asked questions
What counts as an emergency in a Broxbourne home?
Water you cannot stop, water near electrics, or sewage coming up indoors. A leak you can isolate at a valve can usually wait for a weekday.
How much will a call-out cost at night?
£50 + VAT (£60 including VAT) per attendance, plus the out of hours hourly rate, which we quote on the phone before setting off.
Where is the stopcock in an old house on the High Street?
Often under the kitchen sink, at the front wall near floor level or in the cellar. If a later kitchen has boxed it in, look behind the plinth.
Is a blocked drain outside my boundary my responsibility?
Usually not. Since 2011 most shared drains and lateral pipes beyond the boundary belong to the sewerage company.
Do I pay anything before the engineer arrives?
Yes, half of the first hour on reactive call-outs, with the rest settled when the work is done.
My loft tank is overflowing. Does that need someone tonight?
Usually not if it is only running out through the overflow pipe. Turn off the stopcock and book the float valve repair for a weekday.
Can you find a hidden leak without taking the floor up?
In most cases, yes. Isolating the pipework in sections narrows the search, so only the right spot is opened.
Will you tell me the price before starting?
Yes. You hear the call-out and rate before anyone sets off, and nothing beyond the first hour is done without a price.
Areas we cover around Broxbourne
We cover Broxbourne and the EN10 district, including Wormley, Turnford and Baas Hill, and north into Hoddesdon.
For boiler breakdowns rather than leaks, see boiler repair in Broxbourne. The Broxbourne area page lists everything else we do locally.
Stop the water, then call us
A person answers 01462 506 374 at any hour, helps you isolate the leak in your Broxbourne home and tells you the charges before anyone sets off.
Related services
Repairs, leaks and installations
Found without the digging
Kitchen, bathroom and outside
Cleared the same day
All makes, Gas Safe engineers
Every rate, published