Question 1

How do I locate and turn off my stopcock?

Accepted Answer

Your internal stopcock (or stop tap) controls the mains water coming into your home. It's most commonly found under the kitchen sink, but also check in a downstairs loo, utility room, under the stairs or by the boiler in older properties. Turn it clockwise to shut the water off. As your local emergency plumber in Cranleigh, our honest advice is to test it twice a year: turn it fully off and on again so it doesn't seize up. A seized stopcock is the difference between a quick fix and a flooded kitchen during a burst pipe. If yours is stuck, don't force it — give us a call and we'll free it or replace it safely.

Question 2

What should I do if a pipe bursts?

Accepted Answer

Act quickly and follow these steps: 1) Turn off the water at the stopcock immediately. 2) Switch off your central heating and boiler, and if water is near sockets, lights or appliances, turn off the electricity at the fuse box for the affected area. 3) Open all cold taps to drain the system down and reduce the water left in the pipes. 4) Contain the leak with buckets and towels, and move furniture and valuables out of harm's way. 5) Call us. We provide emergency plumber cover across Surrey and West Sussex, and we'll talk you through anything else you can safely do while we're on our way.

Question 3

How can I fix a blocked or slow-draining sink myself?

Accepted Answer

Before paying for a call-out, try these safe DIY steps: 1) Boiling water — pour a full kettle down the drain in stages to melt grease build-up. 2) Bicarbonate of soda and vinegar — tip half a cup of bicarb down the plughole, follow with a cup of white vinegar, cover for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. 3) Check the U-bend — place a bucket underneath, unscrew it by hand, clear any debris and refit. 4) A plunger with a good seal over the overflow can shift stubborn blockages. Avoid harsh chemical drain cleaners; they can damage older pipework and rarely solve the underlying problem. If the blockage keeps coming back, or more than one drain is slow, there's likely a deeper issue — that's when to call us.

Question 4

How do I safely top up my boiler pressure?

Accepted Answer

Most combi boilers run best at 1.0–1.5 bar when cold — check the pressure gauge on the front of the boiler. If it's dropped below 1 bar: 1) Switch the boiler off and let it cool. 2) Locate the filling loop — a braided silver hose underneath the boiler with one or two small valves. On many Worcester Bosch boilers it's a built-in blue key or lever; Vaillant and Glow-worm models usually have two small blue or black taps on the external loop. 3) Open the valve(s) slowly — you should hear water flowing. 4) Watch the gauge and close both valves firmly when it reaches around 1.2 bar. 5) Restart the boiler. If you're having to top up more than once or twice a year, the system has a leak or a faulty expansion vessel, and it's time to book a local Gas Safe engineer. Never remove the boiler casing yourself — that's Gas Safe registered work only.

Question 5

Why are my radiators cold at the top?

Accepted Answer

Cold spots at the top of a radiator almost always mean trapped air, which stops hot water circulating fully. Bleeding the radiator is a safe, simple fix: 1) Turn your heating off and let the radiators cool. 2) Have a cloth and a small container ready. 3) Insert a radiator key into the bleed valve at the top corner of the radiator and turn it slowly anti-clockwise. 4) You'll hear air hissing out — as soon as water starts to dribble, close the valve. 5) Check your boiler pressure afterwards, as bleeding can drop it slightly, and top it up if needed. If radiators are cold at the bottom instead, that's usually sludge build-up, which needs a professional power flush rather than DIY.

Question 6

What should I do if I smell gas?

Accepted Answer

Treat every gas smell as an emergency. 1) Turn off the gas supply at the meter — the emergency control valve is the large lever on the pipe leading into the meter; give it a quarter-turn so it's at a right angle to the pipe. 2) Open all doors and windows to ventilate the property. 3) Do NOT use naked flames, smoke, or switch any electrical switches or appliances on or off — even a light switch can create a spark. 4) Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service free on 0800 111 999, 24 hours a day. 5) Once the supply is made safe, call us — as Gas Safe registered engineers we'll find and repair the leak properly. Never try to trace or repair a gas leak yourself.

Question 7

Why is my air conditioner dripping water inside?

Accepted Answer

Water dripping from an indoor unit is almost always a drainage or maintenance issue, not a major fault. The most common cause is a blocked condensate drain line — dust and algae build up in the pipe that carries moisture away, so water backs up and overflows inside. A close second is dirty filters: restricted airflow makes the coil too cold, it ices over, and that ice melts and drips when the unit cycles off. You can safely clean or vacuum the filters yourself, and gently clear the accessible end of the drain pipe. If the dripping continues after that, the condensate pump or drain run needs attention — that's a quick, inexpensive visit from our F-Gas certified team rather than an expensive repair left too late.

Question 8

How often should I clean my AC filters?

Accepted Answer

For residential air conditioning maintenance, we advise checking your filters every couple of months — and monthly during heavy summer use or if you have pets. This applies across all the systems we install and maintain, including Samsung, Daikin and Worcester Bosch air conditioning units. On most wall-mounted units the front panel simply lifts up and the filters slide out; vacuum them gently or rinse them in lukewarm water, let them dry completely, and slide them back in. Clean filters keep your running costs down, improve air quality and extend the life of the system. We also recommend a professional service once a year to check refrigerant levels, electrics and the outdoor unit — work on the refrigerant circuit itself must legally be done by an F-Gas certified engineer.

Question 9

Why is my AC blowing warm air?

Accepted Answer

Before booking a visit, run through these quick checks: 1) Settings — make sure the remote is on cooling mode (the snowflake symbol) rather than fan-only, auto or heat, and that the temperature is set below the current room temperature. 2) Filters — dirty filters restrict airflow and make the system feel weak and warm. 3) The outdoor unit — check it isn't blocked by plants, garden furniture or debris; it needs clear space around it to release heat. 4) Give it time — after a power cut some systems run a protective delay before cooling restarts. If everything checks out and the air is still warm, the most likely cause is low refrigerant, which means the system needs a professional regas — and possibly a leak repair. Refrigerant work must be carried out by an F-Gas certified engineer, which we are, so just give us a call.

Expert Help Before You Need an Engineer

Emergency Plumbing & Water Leaks

Heating & Boiler Troubleshooting

Smell gas? Act now.

Residential Air Conditioning

Contact Gas Fix in Cranleigh, Surrey