HERTFORDSHIRE, BEDFORDSHIRE & CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Emergency Plumber in Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead was built neighbourhood by neighbourhood, and each era has its own weak spots. Here is what to do first in a leak, and exactly how a night visit is charged.
First, stop the water
Main stopcock
Turn it clockwise until it will go no further. In most Hemel houses it is under the kitchen sink, but check yours today rather than in the middle of a burst.
The nearest valve
If only a tap, toilet or washing machine is leaking, close its own isolation valve instead so the rest of the house keeps water.
Hot water escaping
Switch off the boiler or immersion heater too, then open the cold taps to drain the pipes and ease the pressure on the leak.
Electrics
If water is reaching lights or sockets, switch off at the consumer unit only from a dry spot. If you cannot do that safely, leave it and tell us.
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.
Worth a night visit, or not
Call out of hours if the water will not stop, if it is near electrics, if a ceiling is bulging, or if someone vulnerable is left with no water. Those are what the night rate is for.
A dripping tap, a leak you have isolated or an overflow running outside will wait for a weekday, when there is no call-out fee between 8am and 5pm. If you cannot tell which yours is, ring 01462 506 374 and a person will say honestly.
Stopcocks by neighbourhood
Hemel was built in stages, and the age of the house is the best clue to where the valve is.
Old Town and Piccotts End: cellars, larders and behind later kitchen units
Boxmoor and Apsley: under the sink or just inside the front door, sometimes boxed in
Adeyfield, Bennetts End and Chaulden: under the sink, often painted over and stiff
Gadebridge and Highfield: the kitchen or a hall cupboard
Grovehill and Woodhall Farm: kitchen, hall or a cupboard near the front door
Mill conversions at Apsley and Nash Mills: one inside the flat, another somewhere shared
If yours has not moved in years, do not wrench it during a leak. Use the boundary stop tap and let us replace the stiff one afterwards.
Seventy year old pipework
The first new town neighbourhoods had residents from 1950, and in parts of Adeyfield and Bennetts End, around streets like Tile Kiln Lane, Kiln Ground and Barnacres Road, the original pipework is still in place. Pinholes in old copper, tired gate valves and worn cylinders tend to arrive together.
National guidance from the Drinking Water Inspectorate is that homes built before 1970 may have a lead supply pipe. That covers a large share of Hemel, so if we find one while repairing a leak, we point it out.
Flats and shared pipes
The old mill sites by the canal at Apsley and Nash Mills are flats now. The common problems are shared waste runs, a leak that started in somebody else’s flat, and a managing agent who needs telling before anything communal is touched.
Affinity Water is responsible up to the boundary stop tap. From there into the building, the supply pipe belongs to the owner, which in a block may mean the freeholder.
The jobs behind most calls
Burst, split and weeping pipes
No water, or a supply down to a dribble
Cisterns overflowing and cylinders leaking
Blocked toilets and drains backing up
Shower and booster pumps that have given up
Jetting kit is on the van for drains. Since 2011 most shared drains and laterals beyond the boundary belong to the sewerage company, and we will tell you if the blockage is theirs.
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.
Before anyone sets off
On the phone we ask what is leaking, whether it is off, and the rough age of the house. You then hear the call-out, the rate and the deposit, and you decide.
If the job turns out different once the engineer is there, they stop and price it before going on.
Evening and weekend rates
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, there is no call-out fee and plumbing is £140 + VAT for the first hour (£168 including VAT), then £60 + VAT per half hour. The first hour is the minimum.
Outside those hours every attendance carries a £50 + VAT (£60 including VAT) call-out on top of the hourly rate, and the out of hours rate is quoted before anyone leaves. We take 50% of the first hour up front. All of it is on our pricing page.
Smelling gas
Get out of the property, leave switches alone, avoid flames and phone the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first.
After they have made it safe, our Gas Safe engineers (956889) can put the fault right.
Hidden leaks and the paperwork after
A damp patch, a meter that turns with every tap off or a boiler losing pressure can all mean a leak under a floor or in a wall. Leak detection in Hemel Hempstead traces it first, so floors come up only where they need to.
Once it is fixed, you get a written note of what failed, where and what we did, which is what an insurer or managing agent will ask for.
Our labour carries a 12 month guarantee. Drying out and redecorating are separate, and we say clearly what our repair covered.
★★★★★
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
Why do you ask what year my house was built?
It tells us the likely pipe types and where the stopcock usually sits, so the engineer arrives prepared.
Water is coming from the flat above. What should I do?
Try the neighbour and your managing agent, turn off your own supply if the leak is on your pipework, and call us. We write up what we find.
What is the night call-out charge in Hemel?
It is £50 + VAT (£60 including VAT) for each attendance, on top of the hourly rate given on the phone.
Is the pipe from the boundary stop tap mine?
Yes. Affinity Water is responsible up to the boundary, and the supply pipe from there into the house is the owner’s.
What counts as an emergency in Hemel Hempstead?
A leak you cannot stop, water near electrics or a ceiling holding water. Most other problems cost less on a weekday.
Could my 1950s house have a lead supply pipe?
It might. National guidance says homes built before 1970 may have one, and we will tell you if we see it.
Do you unblock drains out of hours?
Yes, jetting equipment is carried on the van. If the blockage is in a shared sewer, we tell you who is responsible.
Is a deposit needed?
Yes, we take half of the first hour before a reactive visit.
Areas we cover around Hemel Hempstead
We cover HP1, HP2 and HP3 from our Stevenage base, including Adeyfield, Bennetts End, Chaulden, Warner’s End, Gadebridge, Highfield, Grovehill, Woodhall Farm, the Old Town, Piccotts End, Boxmoor, Apsley, Nash Mills and Leverstock Green.
Our engineers are our own, not subcontracted. For routine work see plumbers in Hemel Hempstead.
Leak in Hemel Hempstead
Shut off the water and ring 01462 506 374. A person answers day and night and gives you the cost before an engineer 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