Service
Plumbing & Heating in London
Plumbing work on a building project splits into first fix — the pipework and waste runs installed before walls are closed up — and second fix, where sanitaryware, radiators and taps are connected once decoration is complete. ERCO Home Improvements carries out both as part of renovation and extension commissions across London.
First fix decides everything that follows
First fix is where a bathroom or kitchen is really designed. Once pipe centres are set and waste runs are in the floor, the position of every fitting is fixed. Changing a basin position after boarding means opening a wall; changing it during first fix costs an hour.
Waste runs are the least forgiving element. They work by gravity and need consistent fall along their length — too little and they block, too much and the water outruns the solids and they block anyway. In a converted London property where the soil stack is not where you would like it to be, achieving that fall is often what dictates the layout rather than the other way round.
Pressure, flow and why a new shower disappoints
The most common complaint after a bathroom refit is that the shower is weaker than expected, and it is usually a system issue rather than a fault with the shower. A gravity-fed system driven by a tank in the loft delivers pressure proportional to the height of that tank above the outlet — a ground floor shower will always outperform one on the top floor.
An unvented cylinder or a combination boiler works at mains pressure, which is generally stronger, but a combination boiler divides its flow between outlets. Running two showers at once from a single combi will disappoint both. Checking incoming mains flow rate before specifying is a five-minute job that prevents an expensive misunderstanding.
Working alongside gas and electrical work
Gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and notifiable electrical work in bathrooms and kitchens falls under Part P of the Building Regulations. On a renovation these strands have to be sequenced with the general plumbing so that walls are only closed once, and so that certification is issued for the correct stage of work.
Questions
Common questions
Can you move my bathroom to a different room?
Usually, but the deciding factor is the waste run — it needs a consistent fall to the soil stack. Where that fall cannot be achieved by gravity, a pumped solution may be possible, though it adds a mechanical component that a gravity system does not have.
Do you carry out gas work?
Gas appliance work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Where a project involves gas, that element is handled by a registered engineer and sequenced with the rest of the programme.
Why is my water pressure poor upstairs?
On a gravity-fed system, pressure depends on the height of the storage tank above the outlet, so upper floors are always weaker. Changing to a mains-pressure system usually resolves it, but the incoming mains flow rate should be measured first.
Also
Whole-House Renovation
A single craftsman overseeing every discipline. No handoffs, no excuses, no surprises.
House Extensions
Side returns, rear additions and loft conversions — architecturally coherent, structurally uncompromising.
Bespoke Bathrooms & Kitchens
From Calacatta marble to smoked oak and burnished brass. Every surface, chosen and placed with precision.
Discuss your project
Send a message with a few photographs and a description of what you have in mind. You will get a straight answer about whether it is something we can take on, and roughly what it involves.
Or email info@ercohomeimprovements.co.uk