Emergency Plumber Portobello

An air vent spitting water in a hot press on Lennox Street. A basement flat on Heytesbury Street where the toilet will not stop running. Or a restaurant on South Richmond Street with a split hose under the kitchen sink just before dinner service. Call us, and an emergency plumber in Portobello can soon be at your door.

We cover both sides of the canal bridge, from Harrington Street and Clanbrassil Street to Portobello Road and the lanes behind Synge Street.

Owners, tenants, landlords, restaurants, pubs, cafés, coffee shops, schools and offices all rely on us. Our hourly rate is emailed or texted to you ahead of any journey.

CALL 085 816 7910

Emergency Plumber Portobello by the Grand Canal

Portobello grew up in the nineteenth century along the Grand Canal. Tall red-brick terraces, small artisan cottages and a busy strip of shops and restaurants still define it today.

Many of the big houses were split into flats long ago, so one building can hold five or six separate water supplies. Pipework from several decades often runs side by side in the same hot press.

Our photo was taken on a typical Portobello job. Automatic air vents and valves on the hot water pipework had corroded at the threads and begun to weep, leaving white crust and rust down the pipe.

Instead of patching one vent, we replaced the tired vents, the valve beside them and the worst fittings, so the whole section stayed dry.

South Richmond Street and Portobello Bridge

South Richmond Street runs from Portobello Bridge towards the city, lined with restaurants, bars, takeaways and flats on the upper floors.

Here, restaurant kitchens need hot water and sound sink supplies from breakfast prep until late at night. When a supply hose splits or a mixer tap fails, the kitchen may have to stop.

Above the shops, flats often share a rising main with the business below. For that reason, a leak in a bathroom upstairs can quickly reach a dining room ceiling.

Our job is to find which supply is leaking, isolate it without shutting the whole building, and repair the fault.

Ideally, owners should make sure every tenant knows where their own stopcock is, not just the one in the shop.

Lennox Street, Synge Street and Heytesbury Street

These streets hold some of the finest Victorian terraces in the south inner city. Many have a basement flat, a raised hall floor and two or three storeys above.

With so many levels, pipes travel a long way from the stopcock to the top bathroom. Consequently, a joint failing on the top floor can soak every ceiling below it, which is why we always start by finding the right valve.

In basement flats, the kitchen and bathroom often sit below the street. Where a toilet or shower cannot reach the main waste by gravity, a Saniflo unit is a common answer.

Old lead pipes still turn up under the front steps of some houses. Uisce Éireann has guidance on replacing lead pipework if you are unsure.

A plumber in Portobello who knows these houses can usually find the leak without opening more ceilings than necessary.

Clanbrassil Street, Harrington Street and Little Jerusalem

West of the bridge, the cottages and small terraces around Clanbrassil Street Upper were once known as Little Jerusalem, and the Irish Jewish Museum still stands nearby.

Meanwhile, Harrington Street links this quarter to the canal, with larger houses, a church and a mix of flats and offices.

The cottages here are compact, and bathrooms were often added at the back in later years. As a result, pipes may run through a cold rear wall or under a solid floor.

During a cold snap, such exposed pipework tends to ice up and crack before anything else. Lagging them before winter is cheap and worthwhile.

We know these homes well, so repairs are usually quick and tidy.

Portobello Road and the Canal Bank

Portobello Road follows the canal westwards past cottages, small terraces and a few modern apartment buildings.

Unfortunately, homes close to the water can be damp, especially at ground level. Over time, that moisture speeds up corrosion on valves, stopcocks and older copper joints.

In the apartments, supply usually comes from a tank room with booster pumps. When a pump or pressure vessel fails, the upper floors lose water first.

Inside the flats, we are mostly called to perished tap hoses, weeping hot press valves and shower trays whose silicone has given up.

For block-wide pressure problems, our booster pump page explains what we do.

Emergency Plumber Portobello for Flats in Period Houses

Flats in converted houses are a big part of Portobello life. Studios, bedsits and one-bed units fill buildings that were designed for a single family.

In such buildings, the plumbing was added bit by bit. Some flats have their own stopcock, while others share a valve in the hall or basement.

When water leaks from one flat into another, the first task is to work out whose supply it is. After that, we isolate only that flat whenever the pipework allows.

Compact bathrooms mean pipes are hidden behind boxing and under shower trays. Therefore, a slow leak can go unnoticed until a stain appears downstairs.

Residents can call us directly, and we keep the landlord informed.

Because several households may lose water while we work, we explain in advance how long the supply will be off.

Emergency Plumber Portobello for Air Vents and Valves

Automatic air vents let trapped air escape from hot water pipework and pumped supplies. Over the years, their seals wear and the threads corrode.

A failing vent may drip slowly, spit water when the system runs, or leave a white crust around its base. Often the valve or fitting next to it is corroded too.

We isolate the section, remove the old vent and fit a new one with fresh seals. Where the neighbouring valve or fitting is also worn, we renew that at the same time.

Once that is done, we refill the pipework, check for air and make sure every joint is dry.

Also, stopcocks and isolating valves that will not turn are a related problem. In older houses, we often replace them so that the next emergency is easier to control.

Restaurants, Pubs, Cafés, Coffee Shops and Offices

Portobello is known for its restaurants, wine bars, traditional pubs, cafés and coffee shops, alongside offices, schools and small studios.

For food businesses, hot water and a working hand basin are essential. If a heater fails or a sink supply bursts, we aim to have the kitchen back in action as soon as possible.

In pubs, running cisterns and blocked urinals waste water and annoy customers. We repair the cisterns and unblock or replace the urinals, usually before opening.

Similarly, offices and schools need their washrooms working every day. Visits can be arranged early, late or at weekends to avoid disruption.

For a restaurant, we can often work around service, fixing the fault between lunch and dinner. Commercial customers are welcome to pay by bank transfer.

Leaking Traps and Waste Pipes

Plastic waste fittings beneath a sink, basin or bath age without much warning. Plastic becomes brittle, seals flatten and joints loosen with years of hot water.

Typically, the first sign is a damp cupboard base or a musty smell under the sink. If left, the water can rot the floor or mark the ceiling below.

We replace worn traps, cracked waste pipe sections and leaking bath or shower wastes, matching the new parts to the fixture.

Blocked toilets, showers and sinks are normally cleared during the same visit.

Moving a washing machine or dishwasher? In that case, we can also lay a new waste run for it as planned work.

Saniflo Units in Basement Flats

Because so many Portobello houses have basement flats, Saniflo macerators are common here. They pump waste up to the main pipe where gravity alone cannot do the job.

We install new Saniflo units, including the discharge pipe and connections to the toilet, basin or shower. We also unblock units that have jammed.

Signs of a blockage include a unit that runs constantly, hums without pumping or leaves the toilet slow to empty. Wipes and sanitary products are the usual cause.

Please stop using the connected fixtures until we arrive, since more water can make the unit overflow.

Motor faults and worn internal parts are not something we take on; the maker’s own service team handles those.

Water Leak Right Now? First Steps

Until help arrives, do the following:

• Turn off the water. Close the isolating valve on that pipe, or the stopcock for the flat; in Portobello houses it is often under the front steps, in the basement or beneath the kitchen sink.
• Open the cold taps to let the pipes empty.
• Mind the electrics. Keep clear of wet sockets and lights, and only use the fuse board if you are standing on dry ground.
• Warn the neighbours in the flat below.
• Photograph everything for your insurance claim.

Stay away from any ceiling that is bulging. Uisce Éireann gives advice on leaks, and our burst and leaking pipes page describes the repair.

Portobello Toilet, Tap and Shower Repairs

• Toilets: cisterns that never stop filling, broken flush valves, leaking pan connectors and loose toilets. Read more about toilet repair work.
• Saniflo: fitted in basement flats and garden rooms; jammed ones cleared.
• Sink traps and wastes: dripping sink traps, cracked basin wastes and leaking waste pipes behind baths repaired or replaced.
• Taps: drips, worn cartridges and loose mixers fixed, or a new tap supplied on request. Visit tap repairs.
• Water heaters: leaking immersions, hot press valves, air vents and small instant heaters. See water heater installation.
• Electric showers: if spares exist we fix the unit; otherwise a suitable new model goes in. Read electric shower replacement.

We leave boilers and gas appliances to other specialists. The full list of services is under plumbing services.

Hot Presses and Roof Tanks

Many period houses in Portobello still run their hot taps from the hot press, which in turn draws from a cold water tank upstairs.

Common faults include leaking immersion bosses, seized valves, corroded air vents and ballcocks that stick. Consequently, you may notice water running from an overflow pipe or taps upstairs losing flow.

Galvanised steel tanks corrode with age and may leak at the seams. We can fit a modern plastic tank with a proper lid and new valves.

Upper-floor flats in tall houses often have weak showers. Sometimes a pump is the answer; just as often, a partly shut valve or scaled-up pipe turns out to be the culprit.

For dirty tanks, see our storage water tank cleaning page.

Portobello Plumber for Landlords

Portobello has a busy rental market, from basement studios to whole houses let to students and young professionals.

Landlords can simply pass on the tenant’s details. We arrange access, fix the fault and send you photos and a short written summary.

Agents who manage several buildings in the area can use one plumber for every property, which keeps reports consistent.

In addition, planned checks between lettings are worthwhile. New hoses, valves and cistern parts cost far less than water damage.

Tenants are welcome to contact us directly; the landlord normally settles the bill.

Parking and Access in Portobello

Parking is tight around Portobello, so we plan for it. Most streets are pay-and-display or permit-only, and South Richmond Street is busy at almost every hour.

Before we come, please tell us:

• the nearest place a van can stop
• whether the flat is reached by the main door, basement steps or a side lane
• any intercom, fob or key-safe codes
• which flat and which room has the fault

Parking and access count as time on site, so clear directions keep your costs down.

Nearby areas have their own pages: Dublin 8, Dublin 2, Rathmines and Harold’s Cross. All other locations are on Emergency Plumber Dublin.

Your Portobello Emergency Plumber Visit, Step by Step

To start, send us the address or Eircode, the flat number and a short description of the fault. A photo of the leak helps us bring the right parts.

Next, you get the hourly rate in writing, plus a realistic time we can be there. Once you reply to confirm, we set out.

On arrival, we turn off the water and trace the cause. Then we repair it, mostly with parts carried in the van.

Before we go, we clean the work area and explain the problem clearly. Should a special part be needed, the plumbing is made safe and we come back once it arrives.

Evenings and weekends follow the same pattern, as our 24/7 emergency plumbing page explains.

Emergency Plumber Portobello Prices and Payment

We work at an hourly rate, which you receive in writing before we travel.

Now and then, a good photo allows us to offer an estimate. Please treat that figure as a rough guide; what you pay depends on the hours we actually spend there.

Older fittings take longer. Seized valves, corroded threads and pipes set into old plaster need careful work. Likewise, parking and access form part of the time on site.

Office hours give you the lowest rate. Evenings, overnight calls, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, however, are charged at a higher hourly rate.

• Residents and landlords: cash or card, or a secure payment link
• Businesses: any of these, or a bank transfer

Every job is covered by our insurance. We also tidy up fully and can put the repair details in writing for an insurance claim.

Portobello Plumbing FAQs

Which streets around the bridge do you cover?

All of them. We cover South Richmond Street, Lennox Street, Synge Street, Heytesbury Street, Harrington Street, Clanbrassil Street and Portobello Road.

Can you replace a leaking air vent?

Yes. We fit a new automatic air vent and renew any corroded valve or fitting beside it.

Can you put a Saniflo in a basement flat?

Yes. We fit new units and free jammed ones, although motor and internal repairs are not something we do.

Will the estimate be what I pay?

Not necessarily. An estimate is only an indication; the invoice reflects the real time on site.

Do you repair electric showers?

Yes, when parts are available. If not, we replace the shower with a suitable new unit.

Can you service my gas boiler?

No. Please contact a Registered Gas Installer for boilers. We stick to taps, toilets, pipework and water fittings.

Looking for general answers about rates, payment or insurance? Visit our plumbing FAQ page.