Plumbing · Putney, London
Plumber in West Putney: Edwardian Conversions, Conservation Streets and Hazlewell Road (SW15)
West Putney is where we are based, so there is nothing to dress up here. The address on this site, 70 Hazlewell Rd, SW15 6UR, is in the district this page describes, and when the phone on 07782 232151 rings at three in the morning, a West Putney call is the easiest kind to place. Honest Plumber Putney answers every hour, and the first thing we tell a caller is whether the fault is theirs to pay for.
The streets were laid out on former fields west of Putney's older town centre, in the later Victorian period and largely in the Edwardian one, according to Wandsworth Council's conservation appraisal. That makes the housing roughly a century old and often more, and a century of owners means a century of alterations: loft conversions, rear extensions, houses cut into two or three flats, and pipe runs that nobody drew.
The district is bounded by Upper Richmond Road, Putney Hill, Roehampton Lane, Lower Richmond Road and Hazlewell Road. It is one of the two wards, with East Putney, that cover Putney for council elections, and it sits inside the London Borough of Wandsworth, which runs building control and the conservation regime for the area.
Every job booked through us is carried out by an independently owned local partner company. It quotes in writing, does the work, invoices you and takes payment itself. We choose the partner that suits the fault and can get to SW15 soonest, and we text you its name before anyone arrives.
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Nearby
Edwardian Houses, Victorian Pipes
Long concealed runs, early copper, the odd length of lead.
Conversions With Hidden Pipe Runs
Many houses around Colinette Road, Dealtry Road and Howard's Lane were extended or split into flats, which means long concealed pipe runs between a kitchen on one floor and a boiler on another. When a damp patch appears, the source is rarely where the stain is. The partner company traces it before it opens anything, and quotes the access work separately so you can see the cost.
Early Copper and the Odd Lead Length
Lead supply pipes were standard until about 1970, and the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 ban lead in new work. In a house this age, a surviving length of lead or very old copper under the floor is plausible, not certain. If you are doing other plumbing work, ask the partner company to look at the supply pipe while the floor is up. See leak detection & repair.
Shared Drains Between Neighbours
Converted houses and terraces often share drain runs, so one blocked gully can show up in a neighbour's flat. Jetting a drain costs roughly £180 to £350 in London guides, against £100 to £180 for a manual clear. The partner company clears your side and tells you plainly if the blockage is further down the line. See blocked drains.
Nearby
A Conservation Area and What It Touches
Most of the district is protected, and mostly it does not matter for a plumber.
Outside Is Checked, Inside Is Routine
West Putney Conservation Area covers most of the district, and Wandsworth Council is the authority. Status affects visible external work such as flue terminals and outside pipework. It does not affect an internal tap, toilet, radiator or cylinder. If a boiler swap needs a flue in a new place on a front wall, the partner company flags it before quoting.
Roots, Leaves and Old Clay Drains
The council's appraisal treats trees and green space as its own section, and street trees on the residential roads are what matters to us. Roots can reach clay or ceramic drain runs, and leaves choke gutters and gullies in autumn. Species and soil here are not recorded in our notes, so we do not say which tree is guilty without a look. A CCTV survey typically costs £150 to £450.
Hard Water, Soft Promises
Thames Water's Putney Heath supply area is hard at 257 mg/l of calcium carbonate, about 18 Clark degrees, and West Putney is next door. Scale builds in combi heat exchangers, cylinders and shower valves. We will not promise a descaler fixes everything. A system cleanse to BS 7593 and a magnetic filter are fair first steps when radiators run cold at the bottom.
Nearby
Streets, Shops and the Quickest Way In
Upper Richmond Road is the artery and the District line sits on it.
Upper Richmond Road and the Tube
East Putney Underground station, on the District line, and the Tesco at 357-361 Upper Richmond Road are the markers most West Putney people use when giving directions. Upper Richmond Road is a busy A205, so a partner company approaching from either end is affected by the same queues as a bus. We tell you when traffic is likely to stretch the window.
Hazlewell Road, Our Own Street
Our base is on Hazlewell Road, and a music critic once lived at number 39, which gives the street a minor footnote in Putney's history. For you, the practical effect is simple: a call from Hazlewell Road, Upper Richmond Road or Putney Hill is a short hop for a nearby partner company, though we still never promise an arrival time.
One Number Whatever the Time
From the Putney Hill end to the Roehampton Lane boundary, the same number answers, whether you are near the house on Upper Richmond Road where a Titanic officer once lived or in a flat above a shop. A written quote comes first, the partner company's name arrives by text, and any problem afterwards comes back to us. Read how we work, or see all services.
West Putney's Housing and What It Means for Plumbing
The district was built on fields, and most of what is under the floor has had a century to go wrong.
Edwardian Rooms With Victorian Habits
Houses built in this period were designed around coal fires, outside toilets and cisterns in the roof. Central heating, bathrooms and kitchens were added later, one extension at a time. That is why the pipework in a single house can come from four different decades, and why an honest diagnosis begins with looking before quoting.
Flats Above and Below
When a house is split into flats, leaks travel. A dripping trap upstairs becomes a stained ceiling below, and the argument about who pays is only easy if each flat has its own isolation valves. If you are buying a conversion, find those valves on the first viewing.
Loft Tanks and Old Cylinders
Many houses here still have a loft cold tank and a vented hot-water cylinder, which is fine until the ball valve fails. Unvented cylinders fall under Part G3 of the Building Regulations and are a bigger job to fit. See boiler installation & replacement.
What a West Putney Job Looks Like With Us
We pick up, ask what you can see, and tell you what we think is going on, without a sales voice. We then hand the job to a partner company that suits it, and we do not take payment.
Before Anyone Arrives
You get a text with the partner company's name, so you know who is coming and can check them against the person at the door. If the fault turns out to be a landlord's, a freeholder's or Thames Water's, we say so and save you the call-out.
Afterwards
If a repair fails or something is not right, ring the same number and we chase the partner company. For heating faults, see central heating repair. For a full list of what we cover, go to the home page, or see Roehampton for the district to the west.
Coverage
Serving West Putney, Hazlewell Road to Upper Richmond Road
Straight Answers
Which streets in West Putney do you cover?
We cover the whole of the West Putney district in SW15, including Hazlewell Road, Upper Richmond Road, Putney Hill, Colinette Road, Dealtry Road, Howard's Lane and the roads between them out to Roehampton Lane and Lower Richmond Road. Upper Richmond Road is the spine of it. We match each job with a partner company by distance and fit, then ring you back with a name.
Do you actually have a base in West Putney?
Yes. Our address, 70 Hazlewell Rd, London SW15 6UR, is in West Putney, and that is the address used everywhere on this site. We are a coordination business, so the plumbing itself is carried out by independently owned local partner companies. That address is where we are based, not a depot full of vans, so please ring rather than call in.
My West Putney house is split into flats. Who pays for a leak?
That depends on where the leak starts. Water from your own pipe, tap or appliance is yours, a leak from the flat above is usually the upstairs owner's problem, and a failure in a shared stack or roof normally belongs to the freeholder. The partner company finds the source and quotes only for what is yours. Photograph the damage and tell the managing agent quickly.
Does the conservation area stop you replacing a boiler?
No, but it can affect where a new flue comes out. West Putney Conservation Area is run by Wandsworth Council, which treats visible external work, such as flue terminals, differently from internal plumbing. A like-for-like swap in the same spot is simpler than moving the flue to a front wall. The partner company checks before it quotes, and boiler replacement is notifiable under Part L of the Building Regulations.
How much does a blocked drain cost to clear in West Putney?
Published London guides put a manual clear at about £100 to £180 and high-pressure jetting at about £180 to £350, with a CCTV survey at £150 to £450 on top if the cause is unclear. These are guide ranges, not our quotes. The partner company states a price in writing before it starts, and it will say if the blockage is in a shared or public section.
Could my West Putney house still have a lead water pipe?
It is possible, because lead supply pipes were standard until about 1970 and many houses here are older than that. Lead is dull grey, soft, and shows bright silver if you scrape it gently. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 ban lead in new work, so any replacement is copper or plastic. Ask the partner company to check the supply when it is already on site.
Why do my radiators stay cold at the bottom?
Cold at the bottom and hot at the top usually points to sludge in the system, which hard water and older steel radiators make more likely. A power flush runs around £300 to £600 in London guides, and a cleanse to BS 7593 followed by a magnetic filter keeps the system cleaner afterwards. Sometimes a single radiator just needs bleeding or a new valve, at roughly £100 to £200.
Can street trees damage the drains on my road?
They can. Roots find joints in old clay or ceramic drain runs, and the council's own appraisal treats street trees as a distinct feature of the district. Our notes do not record which species line the roads, so we cannot name a culprit. If a drain keeps slowing down, a CCTV survey tells you whether roots, collapse or grease is responsible.
What is a fair emergency call-out charge here?
Published London ranges are about £80 to £150 for a weekday daytime call-out including the first hour, £120 to £200 on a weekday evening, £150 to £250 overnight and £180 to £280 on a bank holiday. Those are guide figures, not our prices. The partner company gives its own written quote first, and you should not agree to start without one.
How quickly can a plumber reach West Putney?
We cannot promise a time, because it depends on which partner company is free and on the traffic along Upper Richmond Road. West Putney is where our address is, so the nearest partners are often close. We ring or text you with the company's name and a window, and we say so honestly if it will be longer than you would like.
What do I do if a pipe bursts in my flat?
Close the main stopcock, switch off the boiler and immersion heater, open the cold taps to drain the pipes and keep electrics away from the water. Then call 07782 232151. In a flat, tell the neighbour below and the managing agent straight away. A burst pipe costs about £150 to £300 if accessible and £300 to £600 if concealed, in published London guides.
I smell gas. What should I do?
Leave the property, leave the door open, and do not touch switches or flames. Phone the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 from outside. This is the first call, before any plumber. Once the supply is safe, we can send a partner company, and gas appliance work is carried out to the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
Does hard water matter in West Putney?
It does. Thames Water's Putney Heath supply area measures 257 mg/l of calcium carbonate, which is hard, and West Putney lies next to it, though our notes do not confirm the exact figure for each street. Scale furs kettles, shower heads, combi heat exchangers and cylinders. Servicing, a filter and descaling when needed are the usual defences.
Leak, Blockage or Cold Radiators in West Putney? Ring Now
From Hazlewell Road to Putney Hill. Written quote first. 07782 232151.
07782 232151