Topic: 🚰 Plumbing
Plumbing: how-to guides
Radiators, taps, toilets, waste pipes, stopcocks and everyday household plumbing repairs.
31 guides in this topic
Practical, honest write-ups for jobs a Kent homeowner might tackle themselves: with clear stops where a specialist takes over.
How to bleed a radiator
A practical UK guide to bleeding a cold radiator safely at home, including checking boiler pressure and knowing when to call a heating engineer in Sandwich, Kent.
Read the guideHow to change a tap washer
A practical UK guide to changing a tap washer, from turning off the water and removing the headgear to fitting a new washer and testing the repair.
Read the guideHow to change an outside tap
Step-by-step guide to changing a faulty outside tap in a UK home: turn off the water, remove the old tap, wrap PTFE tape, and fit the new one without a leak.
Read the guideHow to fit a kitchen sink and tap
A practical UK guide to fitting a kitchen sink and tap: cutting the worktop opening, fitting the waste and tap first, and connecting the supply pipes cleanly.
Read the guideHow to fit a shower tray
A practical UK guide to fitting a shower tray: preparing the subfloor, fitting the waste, levelling the tray, and sealing it watertight ready for the enclosure.
Read the guideHow to fit an outside tap
A practical UK guide to fitting an outside garden tap: drilling the wall, running copper pipe, adding a check valve, and connecting to the mains supply.
Read the guideHow to fit thermostatic radiator valves
A step-by-step UK guide to fitting thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs): how they work, which rooms need them, and how to swap a standard valve for a TRV safely.
Read the guideHow to fix a dripping tap
A practical UK guide to fixing a dripping tap at home, covering tap washer replacement and when reseating the tap seat is the better fix in Sandwich, Kent.
Read the guideHow to fix a leaking radiator valve
A practical UK guide to fixing a leaking radiator valve using PTFE tape: covers compression nuts, packing glands, and TRVs without draining the system.
Read the guideHow to fix a leaking gutter joint
A practical UK guide to diagnosing and fixing a leaking plastic gutter joint, from checking the gasket and resealing to testing with water and inspecting the rest of the run.
Read the guideHow to install a close coupled toilet
A practical UK guide to removing an old toilet and installing a new close coupled WC: assembling the cistern, setting the pan, connecting the water supply, and checking for leaks.
Read the guideHow to install a shower enclosure
A practical UK guide to installing a shower enclosure: fixing the wall profiles, assembling the frame, hanging the door, and sealing everything watertight.
Read the guideHow to paint a radiator
A practical UK guide to preparing and painting a radiator: choosing the right paint, prepping the surface, and getting a finish that lasts through the heating season.
Read the guideHow to plumb in a dishwasher
Practical guidance on connecting the cold water inlet hose, setting the drain hose with a high loop to prevent drain-back, levelling the machine, and running a test cycle to check for leaks.
Read the guideHow to plumb in a washing machine
A practical UK guide to plumbing in a washing machine: connecting the inlet hoses, setting up the drain, and getting everything level before the first wash.
Read the guideHow to replace a kitchen tap
A practical UK guide to replacing a kitchen tap: turning off the water supply, disconnecting supply pipes, removing the old tap, fitting the new one, and checking for leaks.
Read the guideHow to replace a radiator
A practical UK guide to replacing a central heating radiator: draining it down, removing the old one, hanging a new radiator on the existing brackets, reconnecting the valves, and bleeding the system.
Read the guideHow to replace a shower head
A practical UK guide to replacing a shower head and hose: removing the old one, cleaning the thread, wrapping PTFE tape, fitting the new head, and checking for drips.
Read the guideHow to replace a mixer tap cartridge
A practical UK guide to replacing a ceramic cartridge in a mixer tap — ideal for fixing a dripping kitchen or bathroom tap without replacing the whole fitting.
Read the guideHow to replace a toilet fill valve
A practical UK guide to replacing a toilet cistern fill valve or Torbeck ballcock, covering diagnosing the fault, removing the old valve, fitting the new one, and adjusting the water level.
Read the guideHow to replace a toilet seat
A practical UK guide to removing an old toilet seat and fitting a new one, including soft-close and quick-release seats.
Read the guideHow to replace a toilet siphon
A practical UK guide to replacing a toilet siphon: turning off the water, removing the old siphon, fitting a universal replacement, and getting the flush working again.
Read the guideHow to replace an outside tap
A practical UK guide to replacing a leaking or seized outside tap yourself: turn off the water, unscrew the old tap, and fit the new one with PTFE tape.
Read the guideHow to replace basin taps
A practical UK guide to replacing bathroom basin taps: isolating the supply, undoing the back nut, and fitting new taps neatly without calling a plumber.
Read the guideHow to replace bath taps
A practical UK guide to replacing bath taps yourself: isolating the water supply, removing old fittings, and fitting new taps without calling a plumber.
Read the guideHow to repressurise a boiler
A practical UK guide to topping up low boiler pressure using the filling loop, checking the pressure gauge, and knowing when to call a heating engineer.
Read the guideHow to resilicone a shower
How to resilicone a shower in the UK, including removing old silicone, cleaning the joint, applying bathroom sealant, and when to get help in Sandwich, Kent.
Read the guideHow to tape and joint plasterboard
A practical UK guide to taping and jointing plasterboard walls and ceilings (from applying jointing compound to feathering edges) ready for decorating.
Read the guideHow to tile a shower
A practical UK guide to tiling a shower enclosure: waterproofing, setting out, cutting, grouting, and siliconing for a long-lasting, watertight finish.
Read the guideHow to unblock a drain
How to unblock a drain safely at home, including simple checks for sink, shower, bath, and outside drain blockages, plus when to get help in Sandwich, Kent.
Read the guideHow to unblock a toilet
A practical UK guide to clearing a blocked toilet using a plunger or drain rod, knowing when the blockage is further down the line, and when to call a plumber.
Read the guideOther topics
🌿 Garden & outdoor
Lawn care, hedges, fences, patios, pressure-washing and outdoor upkeep for a Kent garden.
🎨 Painting & decorating
Masonry paint, interior finishes, wallpapering, caulking and silicone work done properly.
💡 Electrics
Light fittings, sockets, switches and small electrical jobs (with clear stops where a qualified electrician takes over).
🔨 Carpentry & joinery
Flat-pack furniture, shelves, plasterboard, stud walls, lofts and timber work around the house.
🧱 Brickwork & masonry
Plastering, rendering, brick garden walls, patios, mortar work and stonework repairs.
🚪 Doors & windows
Hinges, latches, locks, draught-proofing, sash windows and everyday door and window fixes.
⬛ Flooring & tiling
Laminate, vinyl, engineered wood, tile-and-grout and flooring transitions.
🏠 Roofing & guttering
Gutter-clearing, small roof-tile fixes, fascia and downpipe maintenance.
🔧 General household
Everyday fixes, maintenance jobs and small repairs that fall between the specialist trades.