Taps, toilets, showers and leaks, fixed properly

Plumbing jobs I take on

Alongside heating work, I do the everyday plumbing that every home needs sooner or later. I work across Noord-Holland, from Den Helder to Amsterdam, and I speak English and Dutch.

• Taps: dripping, stiff or loose taps repaired, and new kitchen, bathroom and outside taps fitted.
• Toilets and cisterns: running toilets, leaking cisterns, a flush or fill valve that has stopped working, and new toilets.
• Showers and mixers: shower mixers that leak or won’t hold a temperature, and new showers and mixers fitted.
• Water heaters: a warmwaterboiler (hot-water cylinder) or water tank installed, replaced or repaired.
• Leaks: leaks at pipes, fittings and sanitary fixtures investigated and repaired.
• Small pipe repairs: a damaged section replaced, a connection moved, a new supply to an appliance.

Taps, toilets and cisterns

Most dripping taps come down to one worn part. Older taps with two handles usually have a washer (kraanleertje). Single-lever mixers use a cartridge instead. Whether a repair or a new tap makes more sense depends on the age of the tap and whether parts are still available. I’ll tell you which, and why.

A toilet that keeps running is almost always the fill valve or the flush valve inside the cistern. Many Dutch homes have a concealed cistern (inbouwreservoir) behind the wall. Its valves are reached through the opening behind the flush plate, so a running toilet rarely means opening up the wall.

Under most sinks and next to most toilets you’ll find a small isolating valve (stopkraantje). Turning it off stops the water to that one fitting, while the rest of the house keeps its supply.

Showers, mixers and water heaters

A thermostatic shower mixer that runs too hot, too cold or drips after you turn it off usually has a worn cartridge or seals. A leaking shower hose or head is usually a simple repair. A new mixer is worth considering when the old one is worn out or its parts are no longer made.

A warmwaterboiler is a hot-water cylinder, often electric, found in homes where the cv-ketel doesn’t make hot water. A little water from its safety valve (inlaatcombinatie) while it heats up is normal, because water expands as it warms. A steady drip when it isn’t heating, or water coming from the tank itself, needs looking at. If the tank is leaking, switch it off at the plug or its switch and close the cold supply.

Leaks at pipes and fittings

A damp cupboard floor, a stain on the ceiling or a hissing pipe: I’ll trace the leak to the pipe, fitting or fixture it comes from and repair it. For a small section of damaged pipe, a repair on the spot is often enough.

If the water is coming out right now, close the hoofdkraan (main stop tap) first. My guide to a water leak’s first steps explains where to find it and what else to do.

If one repair turns into several, it may be the pipework itself that’s worn out. Replacing old pipes explains how to tell, and pipework and wall chasing covers new runs and rerouting.

How pricing works

Plumbing work is charged by the hour. My rate is €114.95 incl. BTW per hour, with no call-out charge. Materials are extra. As an example, a job that takes two hours comes to €229.90 incl. BTW, plus materials.

Work and cost are explained and agreed before I start, so you know what you are paying for. If you’re supplying the tap, toilet or mixer yourself, send me the details before you order. My prices page has the full rates.

What to send me on WhatsApp

A few photos save a lot of guesswork. Please send:

• A photo of the problem close up, and one from further back so I can see the space around it
• For a water heater, a photo of the label with the make and model
• Your postcode
• A short description: what’s happening, since when, and whether you can turn the water off

If you rent, check with your landlord first. Small jobs such as a new tap washer are usually the tenant’s, while bigger repairs are the landlord’s. Rijksoverheid explains the split.

What I don’t do

• Drain and sewer unblocking. A blocked toilet, sink or drain needs a drainage company.
• Specialist leak-detection surveys. I find and fix leaks I can get to. Tracing water hidden deep inside floors or walls is a job for a leak-detection specialist.
• A 24-hour or emergency service. I work by appointment, 08:00-16:00, seven days a week.

Problems with the cv-ketel itself, such as a fault code or no heating, are covered on my boiler repair page.

Book a plumbing job

Message me on WhatsApp with your photos, postcode and a short description. I’ll tell you what I think the job involves and roughly how long it should take, and we’ll agree a time that suits you.