THE WORK
What the job involves
Plumbing emergencies do not wait for office hours. Nelson Plumbing & Heating covers emergency call outs across Greater Manchester for burst pipes, uncontrolled leaks, no hot water and boiler breakdowns. If water is actively escaping, shut it off at the stopcock and call us on 0161 515 9977 so an engineer can advise you straight away.
What's included
Immediate phone advice to limit the damage
Making the property safe on arrival
A fixed price for the repair before it starts
Gas Safe registered engineers for any gas work
What to do in the first five minutes
Before anyone arrives, these steps decide how much damage you are dealing with.
Find the stop tap and turn it off. In most houses it is under the kitchen sink, and in older properties it can be in a cellar, a downstairs cupboard or under the floor near the front door. Find it now rather than during a flood, and check it actually turns. Stop taps seize when they are never used.
Turn off the heating if the leak is on the heating system rather than the mains.
Kill the power to affected circuits if water is anywhere near electrics or coming through a ceiling. Do not stand in water to reach a consumer unit.
Catch what you can and get the pressure off. Open the lowest cold tap in the house after turning off the stop tap. It drains the pipework down and slows what is coming out.
If you smell gas, this is a different emergency. Do not touch electrical switches, put out any naked flame, open doors and windows, turn the supply off at the meter if you can reach it safely, get out, and ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. That is a free 24 hour line and it takes priority over ringing any plumber.
What counts as an emergency, and what can wait until morning
Calling out of hours costs more, so it is worth knowing which is which.
Genuine emergencies: water you cannot stop, a leak coming through a ceiling, a burst pipe, no water at all, sewage backing up, a gas smell, or no heating and no hot water in a house with someone vulnerable or very young in it.
Usually fine until the morning: a dripping tap, a slow leak into a bucket you can empty, one cold radiator, a noisy boiler that still works, a running overflow outside.
The grey area is a boiler that has locked out in winter. If the house is holding heat and nobody is at risk, it will often keep until a normal appointment, and cost less.
What to ask when you ring anyone
In an emergency people agree to things they would never accept normally. Three questions protect you.
Is the person coming Gas Safe registered, if it is a gas job? Ask for the number.
What is the call out charge, and what does it include? A first hour, a diagnosis, or nothing at all. This is where the disputes come from.
Will I get a price before the work starts? Making safe and repairing are two different jobs, and you are entitled to know the cost of the second before it begins.
Anyone unwilling to answer those on the phone is telling you something useful.
REVIEWS
Rated 9.86 from 483 Checkatrade reviews
Every review below is from a real Nelson Plumbing and Heating customer across Greater Manchester.
CheckatradeCommunication with the company was fantastic. Turrell came round to complete the job for us and was very professional and friendly. Would use again.
CheckatradeI had a great experience from start to finish. Communication was excellent, they always arrived on time, and I am very happy with the quality of the work. A special mention to Ryan, who was professional, friendly, and amazing with my German Shepherd.
CheckatradeGreat service from start to finish. I had inadvertently purchased the wrong replacement part, but the plumber sorted it with the minimum of fuss. He cleared everything away once the job was complete and shared some useful information for future maintenance.
CheckatradeJob completed to a high standard, operatives were prompt, polite and professional.
CheckatradePrompt answer, arranged for a plumber to visit the next morning, plumber arrived on time and carried out the work efficiently and to a great standard.
CheckatradeSuper friendly, quick response, sorting my leaking shower quickly. Thanks.
GoogleI arranged for a plumber from Nelson Plumbing and Heating to replace an isolation valve at a property in Salford. The plumber turned up on time, did a fast and professional job. Price was cheaper than the estimate. Great service and will be my go to plumber for any further work required in the Manchester area.
GoogleThey arrived promptly as arranged and both introduced themselves and interacted very well with our dog. They installed our new boiler very efficiently and professionally, giving honest advice on which services we may require in the future.
GoogleI cannot recommend Turrell highly enough. He was an absolute pleasure to deal with and professional from start to finish. He took his time to explain everything clearly, which immediately put me at ease, something that is a massive deal for me when dealing with the building trade.
GoogleReally happy with the annual boiler service provided by Tom. Turned up on time, got everything done quickly. Friendly, professional and would definitely use again.
GoogleVery happy with Nelson Plumbing. I am always a bit wary when it comes to jobs around the house, but these guys were very professional, prompt on arrival, got the job done nice and tidy and very pleasant. Would recommend, and the price was very reasonable.
GoogleFriendly and helpful service. I was really impressed with Tom who undertook diagnostic testing and then the replacement of parts on my water system in the house. Thank you for the quick turnaround and efficient service.
FAQS
Questions we get asked
Straight answers before you book. If yours is not here, pick up the phone and ask.
Call 0161 515 9977
GUIDES
Worth reading first
Questions we get asked all the time, answered properly.
SERVICE AREA
Where we work
Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Sale and the towns around them.
MORE
Other things we do
Plumbing, heating and gas across Greater Manchester, all handled by the same team.
