About Leatmere
Leatmere is independent UK home plumbing help. It explains the water and heating systems in ordinary homes, what a householder can sensibly check, and when the job belongs to a plumber, an electrician or a Gas Safe registered engineer.
The name is two old words for water: a leat is a channel that carries it, and a mere is a lake where it rests. That is the whole story. Leatmere is a new site, not an old firm.
How the guides are written
By the Leatmere team. We have not tested the products we mention. Where a guide names a product, the figures come from the maker's or retailer's public page, and the page says when we checked it. Where we could not check a figure, we leave it out rather than guess.
Rules are pointed at the official source: the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 for England and Wales, the Water Regulations Approval Scheme (WRAS), Water Regs UK, the Health and Safety Executive and the Gas Safe Register. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own water fittings rules. Your water company can tell you which apply to you.
What Leatmere is not
We are not a plumbing company, we do not employ engineers, and we do not take bookings or pass your details to tradespeople. We never give DIY instructions for gas pipes, flues, boilers or other gas appliances. New electrical circuits belong with a qualified electrician.
Where it is going
The site now has 111 guides, covering water supply and meters, hard water and softeners, frozen pipes, toilets, taps, drains, washing machine and dishwasher plumbing, pipe fittings and lagging, tools, showers, hot water systems, outdoor taps and outside drains, radiators, heating inhibitor and filters, towel rails, bathroom refits, shower trays, sealant and bath traps, kitchen sinks and waste disposal units, water pressure testing and pressure reducing valves, water quality, hard water areas and lead pipes, noisy pipes, water hammer and airlocks, expansion vessels, frozen condensate pipes, water butts, garden watering and rainwater harvesting, hiring a plumber, leak insurance claims, and gas safety, plus buying comparisons for shower pumps, fitting packs, outdoor tap kits, softener types, radiator valves, towel rails, kitchen taps and tool sets, plus drain smells, ceiling leaks, shower valves, leak sensors, drinking-water filters, rental repairs, toilet seats and shower heads, and will grow into more home plumbing topics over time. If there is something you would like covered, or you have spotted a mistake, write to webmaster.jarvis@gmail.com.
Some guides contain affiliate links. See the affiliate disclosure.