Plumber in Bedminster and Southville

Bristol Water says a large number of homes in its area built before the 1970s have a lead supply pipe from the main into the house. That covers most of Bedminster and Southville. Lead is a health concern, especially for pregnant women and young children, according to the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

To check, look at the pipe coming up into your inside stop tap. Lead is dull grey, fat, soft and shows bright silver if you scratch it gently. Our guide on how to identify lead pipes has more detail. Bristol Water's free replacement scheme is working in BS16 for now, but anyone can register interest.

You can also register with Bristol Water so you hear when the scheme reaches BS3. In the meantime, run the cold kitchen tap for a short while first thing in the morning before drinking, which is common advice for homes with lead supplies.

In many BS3 streets, one drain picks up several houses before reaching the sewer. Since 2011, shared drains like these that connect to the public sewer have been the water company's responsibility in England. Wessex Water says most shared pipes serving two or more properties are theirs. If your manhole is full and the blockage is downstream in the shared section, report it to Wessex Water rather than paying to clear it. We can check first if you are not sure.

Bedminster ward has both additional HMO licensing and selective licensing, according to Bristol City Council's property licence types page. Whatever the licence, gas appliances in a rented home need a safety check every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. We do gas safety checks and the repairs that follow, from leaking taps to boilers losing pressure.

North Street and East Street homes also see a lot of kitchen ceiling leaks from the bathroom above. A brown ring on the ceiling under the bath is the sign to act before the plaster comes down.