Knowledge hub
Straight answers to the most common plumbing and heating problems across Dudley and the Black country
Practical tips, honest checks and step-by-step guidance to help you understand common plumbing and heating issues.
Showing 15 guides.
If the pressure keeps falling, you're looking at a leak, a tired expansion vessel, or a pressure relief valve that's weeping. Here's how to spot the difference.
Read more: Why is my boiler losing pressure?
F1 on an Ideal Logic or Vogue is almost always down to low water pressure. Here's what's worth checking before booking anyone out.
Read more: Ideal Boiler F1 Fault Explained
Warm on top, cold underneath points to sludge. Cold across the top instead means trapped air, and the fix for each is completely different.
Read more: Why are my radiators cold at the bottom?
A leaking boiler isn't something to sit on. Here's how to make it safe first, and what the location of the leak usually tells an engineer.
Read more: Boiler leaking water: what to do first
When the heating's working but the taps run cold, the fault almost always sits in the part of the boiler that deals purely with hot water.
Read more: No hot water but heating works
Re-pressurising a boiler is a two-minute job with the filling loop. Knowing when to stop doing it yourself is what actually saves you money.
Read more: Low boiler pressure: how to fix it
Boiler stopped working after a sharp frost, with a gurgling sound beforehand? A frozen condensate pipe is the usual suspect, and it's often something you can fix yourself.
Read more: Frozen condensate pipe: thaw it safely
Kettling, banging and whistling each point to something different. Here's how to work out what your boiler is trying to tell you.
Read more: Boiler making banging noises
Repairing is usually the cheaper option, until it isn't. Here's how to tell when it's time to stop patching things up and replace the boiler instead.
Read more: Signs your boiler needs replacing
Boiler quotes vary a lot, and usually for good reason. Here's what really drives the price so you can compare quotes properly.
Read more: How much does a new boiler cost in the West Midlands?
Once a year, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Here's what that visit actually involves, and why skipping it tends to cost more in the long run.
Read more: How often should a boiler be serviced?
A quick job that cures cold-topped radiators. Work through them in the right order and check the boiler pressure once you're done.
Read more: How to bleed a radiator
A tap dripping once a second can waste thousands of litres a year. The fix depends on whether your tap uses old-style washers or ceramic discs.
Read more: Why is my tap dripping?
Burst pipe, gas smell or a leaking ceiling? What you do in the first few minutes matters more than anything else.
Read more: Plumbing problems and what to do first
Before you book anyone out, five quick checks solve a surprising number of no-fire callouts.
Read more: Boiler not firing upEvery guide is written from hands-on work in West Midlands homes, not copied from a manufacturer manual.
Every gas appliance we touch is worked on by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with ID available on request.
Ian Smith is British Gas trained and brings Gas Safe, F-Gas and REFCOM certified experience to every job.
Working across Halesowen, Stourbridge, Dudley and surrounding West Midlands towns, not a national call centre.
Clean pipework, tidy finish and every job tested before we leave, the standard we'd want in our own home.
If a repair is the better option than a replacement, we'll tell you. Fixed prices agreed before work starts.
A plumber deals with water, taps, pipework, leaks, toilets, bathrooms and drainage. A heating engineer works on boilers, radiators, hot water systems and gas appliances, and needs to be Gas Safe registered to touch anything gas-related. IJS Trade Services covers both, so one call is all it takes.
Isolate the problem first: shut off the water at the stopcock for a leak or burst pipe, or turn off the gas at the meter and leave the property if you suspect a gas leak, then call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Once things are made safe, give us a call and we'll get you booked in for the soonest available slot, usually the next day.
Every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Annual servicing is a condition of nearly every manufacturer warranty, and landlords must hold a valid annual Gas Safety Record for every gas appliance in a let property.
Usually a small leak on pipework, radiators or valves, a failed expansion vessel, or a weeping pressure relief valve. Topping up once or twice a year is normal; needing to re-pressurise every few weeks means there's a fault worth tracing.
Bleeding radiators, re-pressurising a boiler, thawing a condensate pipe and clearing a simple blockage are all reasonable DIY jobs. Anything involving gas, the inside of a boiler casing, or unvented hot water cylinders is legally restricted to registered engineers.
If you want your plumbing or heating problem fixed professionally for you, contact IJS Trade Services today for fast, reliable service across the West Midlands and surrounding areas.
