Coda Vessel Plumbing — Repairs, Leaks & Pipework

Call-out triage

Three queues, so the urgent work moves first

Plumbing problems are not all the same size. Tell us which queue your job sits in and the schedule does the rest — nobody waits behind a tap washer while a ceiling is getting wet.

QUEUE 01 / NOW

Water is escaping

Burst pipe, a leak coming through a ceiling, an overflowing cylinder or no way to stop the flow.

Close the internal stop tap first, then the cold tap in the kitchen to drain the rising main.
If the leak is near lights or sockets, switch that circuit off at the consumer unit.
Mark the job urgent on the form — these are placed ahead of planned work.

QUEUE 02 / THIS WEEK

It still works, badly

A slow drain, dripping mixer, weak hot water, a noisy cistern or a radiator that never warms up.

Note when it started and whether it changed after other work in the building.
Photograph under the sink or behind the panel if you can reach it safely.
Most of these are one visit, booked within the working week.

QUEUE 03 / PLANNED

Work you are choosing

Bathroom pipework, a new cylinder, outside tap, appliance plumbing or moving a kitchen run.

We survey first, then send a written scope with the parts standard set out.
Dates are agreed in advance, including water-off windows.
Planned jobs can be re-sequenced if an emergency lands on the same day.

What we work on

The job sheet, in plain terms

Five areas cover almost everything we are called for. Times below are the usual length of a first visit, not a promise — old pipework has opinions of its own.

01

Leaks & pipework

Tracing the actual source, then a proper repair rather than a wrap of tape.

Compression and soldered joint repairs Copper, plastic push-fit and lead-to-copper transitions Stop tap and isolation valve replacement Re-routing exposed runs before decorating

First visit1–3 hours

02

Blockages & waste

Sinks, baths, toilets and gully runs cleared, with the cause explained.

Trap, waste and soil connection clearing Macerator and pumped waste faults Re-falling waste pipes that never drained properly Advice on what caused it, so it stays clear

First visit1–2 hours

03

Taps, showers & sanitaryware

Replacements and repairs where the fitting is worth saving.

Cartridge, washer and ceramic valve changes Mixer, basin and bath tap replacement Thermostatic shower valves and risers Cistern mechanisms and pan re-seating

First visit1–2 hours

04

Hot water & cylinders

Why the hot water is weak, slow, scalding or gone entirely.

Unvented and vented cylinder servicing Immersion elements and thermostats Expansion vessel and pressure checks Pump and blending valve replacement

First visit2–4 hours

05

Radiators & heating pipework

Wet-side heating work: the pipes, valves and radiators, not the boiler flue.

Cold-at-the-bottom radiators and balancing Valve, TRV and tail replacement Moving or removing radiators for decorating Leaking joints and corroded towel rails

First visit2–4 hours

How a visit runs

Four steps, no surprises halfway through

STEP 01

You describe it

A short message with the queue, the symptom and a photo if you have one. We reply with a slot, not a vague window.

STEP 02

We look before we quote

On arrival the fault is confirmed and the cost is agreed with you. Nothing is cut, drained or removed before that conversation.

STEP 03

The work happens

Water off only for the time it takes. Floors covered, boards lifted carefully, isolation points tested on the way back up.

STEP 04

You get the notes

Photos of the repair, the parts fitted, anything we spotted that needs watching, and what to check if it recurs.

Adjustable wrench tightening a fitting on copper pipework during a plumbing repair — Joint repair on an existing copper run

Workmanship standard

Included on every job, not listed as an extra

These are the parts of the work that get skipped when a visit is rushed. They are part of the price here.

Isolation valves fitted where there were none, so the next repair does not mean draining the house.
Pressure and flow checked before and after, so a “fixed” tap has not quietly starved something else.
Access boards refitted and screwed down, not left loose under the carpet.
Work area cleaned down and old parts taken away unless you want to keep them.
A written record of what was done, including anything we chose not to touch and why.

Questions

Asked on the phone most weeks

Where is my stop tap, and should I turn it off before you arrive?

Usually under the kitchen sink, in a downstairs cloakroom, or near where the mains enters the building. If water is actively escaping, yes — turn it clockwise until it stops, then open the kitchen cold tap to drain the rising main. If it is only a drip into a bowl, leave it on so we can see the fault working.

Will you work on old or mixed pipework?

Yes. Most buildings we visit have a mix of copper, plastic and sometimes lead or steel from earlier work. We carry transition fittings for all of them. Where we find lead on a drinking water run, we will say so and set out what replacing it would involve, without pressuring you into it on the day.

Do you bring parts, or do I need to buy them?

The vans carry common valves, cartridges, traps, TRVs, flexible connectors and fittings, so most repairs finish in one visit. For a specific tap, shower or sanitaryware model you have chosen, buy it yourself or ask us to source it — we will tell you honestly which is cheaper.

How long will the water be off?

For a simple repair, usually under an hour, and we agree the window before starting. On cylinder or larger pipework jobs it can be most of the working day, which is why planned work gets a date and a stated water-off period in advance rather than a surprise on the morning.

If tiles or a boxed-in panel have to come off, who puts them back?

We remove access panels and boxing carefully and refit them. Tiles are different: cut tiles rarely survive removal, so we will show you the access point needed and agree it before cutting. We do not re-tile, but we will leave a clean, square opening for a tiler and tell you how many tiles to source.

Can you provide paperwork for a landlord or managing agent?

Yes. Every job is written up with the date, the fault found, the parts fitted and photographs, which is normally what an agent needs for a repair record. Note that we do not carry out gas appliance work, so a gas safety certificate has to come from a gas-registered engineer.

Do you cover evenings and weekends?

Saturday mornings are part of the normal schedule. Outside that, we keep a limited out-of-hours slot for water-loss emergencies only — the kind of job that cannot wait until the morning. It is charged at a different rate and we will confirm that rate before we set off, never afterwards.

What should I do before you get there?

Clear the cupboard or floor space around the fitting, move anything valuable out of the room, and keep pets elsewhere while the work is happening. If there is parking that needs a permit or a code for the door, send it with your message so the visit does not start with ten minutes of circling.

Request a visit

Tell us what the water is doing

A few lines is enough. We read every message ourselves and reply with a slot, or with a question if something in the description does not add up.

Urgent jobs Mark the urgency as “water escaping” and we will move you to the front of the day.
Planned work Say roughly when suits you and we will propose dates with the water-off window.
Not sure which Describe it as you would to a neighbour — we will place it in the right queue.