BS5
Plumber in Easton, Bristol
Easton is tight Victorian terraces in Pennant stone and brick, many rented. A plumber here often deals with shared drains, cracked cast iron soil stacks, old lead supply pipes and gas safety checks for landlords. Easton ward has been under Bristol City Council's selective licensing scheme since August 2024.
Easton, BristolThe houses
Homes in Easton
Easton's streets are narrow and dense, with small Victorian terraces built close together, often in the local Pennant sandstone with brick details. Thick stone walls make running new pipes slow. Bathrooms sit in rear wings with cast iron soil stacks on the back wall. Drains often run behind several houses. Many homes are rented, and Easton ward is in Bristol City Council's selective licensing scheme.
Soil stacks and rear wings
Many Easton terraces still have the original cast iron soil stack on the back wall. Over a century, the joints crack and the iron rusts through, and you may see stains down the wall or smell drains in the yard. Replacing it with a modern plastic stack is a common job. Our guide to soil stack replacement explains what is involved. Work on drains must meet Part H of the Building Regulations.
If you share a back lane or yard with neighbours, it helps to know where the shared manholes are before a blockage happens. When one house blocks, the next house up the line is often affected too.
When a new stack goes in, we also check the branch pipes from the toilet, bath and basin. Old lead or cast iron branches often fail soon after the stack is replaced if they are left in place.
Shared drains and blockages
Because Easton terraces are packed so tightly, drains often serve a whole row before they reach the sewer. Wessex Water says most shared pipes serving two or more homes are its responsibility. If the blockage is in the shared run, report it to them. If it is in the pipe that only serves your house, it is yours to clear. Lifting the manhole covers usually tells you which.
Landlords and lead
Easton ward has been under selective licensing since 6 August 2024, according to Bristol City Council's licence types page. Rented homes need a gas safety check every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Our landlord gas safety guide covers the rules.
Most Easton homes were built long before the 1970s, so a lead supply pipe is possible. Bristol Water says many pre 1970s homes in its area still have one. We can check it at the stop tap.
Thick Pennant stone walls in Easton make chasing pipes into walls slow and dusty. Where we can, we run new pipes under floors or in boxing instead, which also makes them easier to reach next time.
Most asked for in Easton
What people here ask for most
Blocked drains
Sinks, toilets and outside drains cleared, plus CCTV checks. We tell you if the blockage is Wessex Water's to clear.
Blocked drains in Easton
Bathroom plumbing
New suites, showers, soil pipes and wastes. Planned around your pressure, hot water and the way your house is built.
Bathroom plumbing in Easton
Boiler repair
No heating, no hot water, pressure loss or fault codes on combi, system and regular boilers.
Boiler repair in EastonMy cast iron soil pipe is cracked. Can it be repaired?
A single cracked joint can sometimes be repaired, but an old rusted stack is usually better replaced in plastic.
Do Easton landlords need a licence?
Most private rented homes in Easton ward need a selective licence since August 2024. Check Bristol City Council's property licensing pages.
Who clears a blocked drain shared with my neighbours?
Usually Wessex Water, if the pipe serves two or more homes and connects to the public sewer.
Easton
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