Best Plumbers in Sunderland

Sunderland's housing throws up a familiar set of plumbing jobs. The Victorian and Edwardian terraces of Ashbrooke, Hendon and Roker often have heating systems that have been extended piece by piece over decades, the post-war estates and Washington's new-town houses are now on their second or third boiler, and a few rural properties beyond the city are still heated by oil rather than mains gas. Whatever the house, any work on a gas boiler, fire or cooker must be done by an engineer on the Gas Safe Register.

This guide covers two established heating firms with business addresses in the Sunderland area and an independent merchant where householders and tradespeople buy bathrooms and parts. Each firm's details come from its own website and from Companies House, and we have noted where a registration number is shown on the firm's own site.

Seaburn Gas Services

Seaburn Gas Services is based at the North East Business & Innovation Centre on Sunderland Enterprise Park, close to the Wearfield end of the river. The company says it has been providing a Gas Safe registered service to domestic and commercial customers for more than 20 years, and its website gives its Gas Safe number as 195833. Its Which? Trusted Traders profile records that the business was established in 2002.

The firm's main work is boilers and central heating: new installations, breakdown repairs, annual servicing and service plans. It offers extended manufacturer warranties on selected boilers and carries out landlord gas safety checks, the annual CP12 certificate every rented home with gas appliances needs. Its trader profile also lists emergency plumbing, unvented hot water cylinders, power flushing and underfloor heating.

For a household in Fulwell, Seaburn or Southwick replacing an old boiler, a firm a few minutes away on the Enterprise Park is a practical starting point, and its commercial work means it is used to shops and small business premises too.

Best for: Suits: homeowners replacing a boiler and landlords who need annual gas safety certificates.

Hot'on Heating

Hot'on Heating is a family-run plumbing and heating business based at Chilton Moor, on the southern edge of Houghton-le-Spring. It has been trading since 1974, which makes it one of the longer-running heating firms in the area, and its website describes decades of experience installing combination, gas and system boilers. The site displays the Gas Safe Register logo.

Its services cover gas and oil boiler installation, servicing and repair, plus complete bathroom installations. The oil work is worth noting: some rural homes in the wider area are off the gas grid, and not every heating firm takes on oil boilers. The firm lists Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, Durham, Seaham and Chester-le-Street among the areas it covers.

Hot'on Heating also runs seasonal boiler service offers ahead of winter, so it is worth asking what is available when you book rather than assuming the standard rate.

Best for: Suits: Houghton and Coalfield households, and homes with oil-fired heating.

Wearside Plumbing Supplies

Wearside Plumbing Supplies is not an installer but is useful to know about. It is an independent plumbers' merchant and bathroom showroom, with Sunderland branches on Wilson Street North in Monkwearmouth and at Claymere Road on the Leechmere Industrial Estate, and a further branch at Belmont trading as Durham Plumbing Supplies.

The showrooms display bathroom suites, showers, taps and accessories from brands including Roca, RAK, Vitra, Bristan, Britton and Burlington, and the trade counters carry heating and boiler spares, pipe and fittings. Seeing a bath or shower enclosure at full size before ordering avoids surprises in a small terraced bathroom, and if your plumber is fitting a suite you have chosen yourself, buying locally makes returns and missing parts easier to sort out.

Best for: Suits: choosing a bathroom in person, and picking up parts for a repair.

Tips for hiring a plumber in Sunderland

Check the Gas Safe Register. Any engineer working on gas appliances must be registered. Ask to see the engineer's Gas Safe ID card on the day and check the back, which lists the types of work they are qualified for. Boiler work and gas fires are separate categories.

Know where your stopcock is. Most Sunderland houses have the internal stopcock under the kitchen sink, but in older terraces it can be in a cellar, under the stairs or in a back yard. Find it before you need it.

Get written quotes. For a new boiler or bathroom, ask at least two or three firms for an itemised written quote that includes the boiler model, any flue or pipework changes, controls and how the old appliance will be disposed of.

Register the warranty. Extended boiler warranties usually depend on the boiler being registered with the manufacturer and serviced every year. Ask the installer to confirm the registration and keep the paperwork.

Renting? If you rent, your landlord is responsible for gas safety checks and for repairs to the boiler and heating. Report problems in writing.

Our guide to finding a good tradesperson in Sunderland covers quotes, deposits and your rights in more detail, and the trades hub brings together our other trade guides.

Know a Sunderland plumbing or heating firm we have missed? Get in touch.