What Is Plumbing Work? What a Plumber Does at Home
By Emergency Plumb,
Plumbing work is everything to do with the water in a building: getting clean water in, heating and storing it, delivering it to taps and appliances, and taking used water away to the drains.
Short answer: Plumbing work means installing, repairing and maintaining the pipes, valves, fittings and appliances that carry water. In a home that covers three connected systems: the cold water supply, the hot water system and the waste pipes that drain into the sewer.
The three systems a plumber works on
Cold water supply. Water arrives from the water company’s main through a service pipe and a stop tap, then runs to the kitchen tap and, in many homes, up to a storage tank in the loft that feeds the rest of the house.
Hot water and heating. Water is heated by a boiler, an immersion heater in a cylinder, or an electric heater, then stored or delivered on demand. The pipes, radiators, valves and cylinders that circulate it are plumbing work; the gas side of a boiler is not.
Waste and drainage. Every basin, bath, shower, toilet and appliance has a trap and a waste pipe that joins a soil stack or a drain, which runs out to the public sewer.
Jobs that count as plumbing work
- Fixing leaks, burst pipes and dripping taps
- Clearing blocked sinks, toilets and drains
- Repairing and fitting toilets, cisterns, basins, baths and showers
- Plumbing in washing machines and dishwashers
- Replacing stop taps, isolating valves and lead or old pipework
- Fitting and repairing radiators, hot water cylinders and immersion heaters
- Finding hidden leaks and tracing low pressure
First fix and second fix
On a new bathroom, kitchen or extension, plumbing happens in two stages. First fix is everything that ends up behind the finished surfaces: supply pipes, waste runs and fixing points, done while walls and floors are still open. Second fix comes after plastering and tiling, when the sanitaryware, taps, radiators and appliances are connected and tested. Getting the first fix right matters most, because changing it later means opening up finished walls.
The rules that apply
Plumbing in England is not unregulated. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 set out how fittings connected to the public supply must be made and installed, including protection against water being wasted or contaminated. Building Regulations add Approved Document G, which covers cold water supply, hot water safety, water efficiency and sanitary facilities, and Approved Document H, which covers foul drainage pipework and access for maintenance.
What plumbing work does not include
Gas is a separate trade. Fitting, servicing or repairing a boiler or any gas appliance is not plumbing work in our sense, and we do no gas work. Wiring beyond the connection to a water heater or pump is an electrician’s job. If you are not sure which trade a job needs, our plumbing services in London page lists what we do.
Questions people ask
What does plumbing involve?
Installing, repairing and maintaining the pipes, valves, fittings and appliances that bring clean water into a building, heat and store it, and carry used water away to the drains.
Is central heating plumbing work?
The water side of it is. Radiators, heating pipework, valves and hot water cylinders are routine plumbing jobs. Anything that burns gas, including the boiler itself, is a separate regulated trade, and we do no gas work of any kind.
What do first fix and second fix mean?
First fix is the hidden work done before walls and floors are closed up, such as running supply and waste pipes. Second fix is fitting the parts you see once decorating is done, such as taps, toilets, basins and radiators.
What plumbing can I do myself?
Small jobs such as changing a tap washer, bleeding a radiator or replacing a toilet seat are within most people's reach. Any work on a water system still has to meet the water fittings regulations, so for new pipework, cylinders or anything connected to the mains it is worth using a plumber.