Kitchen Plumbing

Sinks, taps and appliances

A lot of kitchen plumbing calls come from homeowners who've bought their own kitchen and have a fitter coming, but need a plumber to handle the water services separately. That's entirely normal and we do it regularly across Dorset, Devon and Somerset. The fitter fits the units; we connect the sink, tap, dishwasher, washing machine and anything else that needs water in or water out.

New sink: hot and cold supply to a pair of isolating valves under the sink, waste run to the drain with a bottle trap, overflow if the sink has one. New tap on an existing sink: usually straightforward unless the pipework is old enough to need new isolation valves first. Dishwasher connection: hot or cold feed depending on the machine, waste run into the sink waste with a standpipe or direct connection. Washing machine: same principle, though often in a utility room rather than the kitchen itself.

Where the sink is moving position in the new kitchen layout, the supply pipes and waste run need to be rerouted to match. That's more than a same-day job and needs to be factored into the programme. We'd talk through the new layout and sort the pipework route before the kitchen fitter arrives so there's no delay at fitting day. For larger pipework changes, see plumbing installation.

Boiling water taps

Boiling water taps (Quooker, Zip, and similar) have become a standard feature in kitchen refits. They need a cold mains supply connection with an isolating valve and a filter unit, plus a small tank unit typically fitted inside a base unit. They also need an electrical spur in the right position, which needs co-ordinating with the electrician before units go in.

We install boiling water taps as part of kitchen refits or as a standalone change. The cold supply connection is the same work as any under-sink plumbing; the main thing is making sure the route for the filter and tank is clear in the unit layout before the kitchen goes in. Worth mentioning early in the planning if you're considering one.

When to think about pipework before fitting

The time to think about pipework changes is before the kitchen fitter arrives, not on the day. If the new layout is significantly different from the old one, supply pipes will need moving. If you're adding a dishwasher where there wasn't one before, the waste route needs planning. If the kitchen is going into a new extension, the pipework runs from the main house need to be in before the floor and walls are finished.

A conversation at design stage saves disruption later. For full kitchen installation where we handle both the fitting and the plumbing, these conversations happen naturally. Where we're doing the plumbing only alongside another fitter, a brief site visit before the kitchen lands is often all it takes to make the whole job run smoothly.

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