Emergency Plumber Nijmegen

Emergency plumber in Nijmegen: Bovenstad, Benedenstad and across the river

Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, and one of the few with any real hills. The Bovenstad (upper town) sits on a glacial ridge left behind by the Ice Age, the Benedenstad (lower town) lies on the bank of the Waal, and across the river a whole new part of the city has sprung up over the past few decades. For an emergency plumber in Nijmegen, that means every district brings a different kind of job.

The Benedenstad and the rebuilt centre

In the narrow streets of the Benedenstad, the buildings have been altered again and again over the centuries. Bathrooms turn up in unexpected places, and drains twist and turn. On 22 February 1944, the city centre was badly hit by a bombing raid, which the square Plein 1944 still recalls. Large parts of the centre were rebuilt afterwards. In these post-war buildings, the plumber still sometimes comes across 1950s pipes and cast-iron drains that can be badly corroded on the inside.

Bottendaal, Oost and West: upstairs and downstairs flats

Bottendaal and Nijmegen-Oost have many houses from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, often split into an upstairs and a downstairs flat. On the west side of the city, working-class neighbourhoods such as the Wolfskuil and the Waterkwartier have seen many of their homes renovated. Yet behind a brand-new bathroom, there's sometimes still an old drain. Leaks into the flat below are a familiar problem in these neighbourhoods, as are blocked shared drains.

Dukenburg, Lindenholt and Hatert

After the war, the city grew to the south and south-west. Hatert is largely post-war, Dukenburg was built from the late 1960s onwards and Lindenholt came after that. The flats and home zones from that period have soil stacks and plastic waste pipes that are starting to show their age. Ball valves and cisterns are often still original, and a leaking coupling in the crawl space can go unnoticed for a long time.

Lent and the Waalsprong

Across the Waal, a great deal of new housing has gone up in the Waalsprong, which takes in Lent, Oosterhout and Ressen, among other places. The pipes there are hidden behind boxed-in walls and in floors with underfloor heating, so a leak is hard to find without the right equipment. Via the Waalbrug or De Oversteek bridge, an emergency plumber in Nijmegen can usually be there quickly.

Glacial ridge, river and cloudbursts

A cellar or basement flat in a cloudburst

In a heavy downpour, rainwater rushes down from the higher streets with real force, and the sewers in the lower parts of the city are soon under heavy strain. If you have a cellar or a basement flat, you'll be the first to notice. A cellar drain or floor gully is often the lowest point in the house, and that's where sewage forced back up the pipes looks for a way out. A non-return valve in the drain can prevent this. Ask the plumber whether your home would benefit from one, and where it should go.

River clay in the Waalsprong

North of the Waal, the land lies a good deal lower than on the glacial ridge, and the soil is mostly river clay. On clay, the garden around a house can sink a little over the years, while the house itself stays put on its foundations. That puts the connection between the drain and the sewer under strain. The pipes in Lent and Oosterhout are still new, but even there, a drain that's gradually getting slower needs looking at. If there's water in the crawl space, check the water meter: if it keeps turning while all the taps are off, a pipe is leaking.

Tenant, landlord or VvE: who calls the plumber?

Home to Radboud University and HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen is a true student city, and in the older neighbourhoods many buildings have been split up. So when there's a leak, the first question is often who calls a plumber in Nijmegen, and who gets the bill.

Student rooms in Bottendaal or near the campus

Many students share a house with a good number of others, in Bottendaal, around the centre or near the Heyendaal campus. One kitchen and one bathroom for that many people means a lot of grease, hair and paper going down the drains. Agree as a house who turns off the main stopcock if there's a leak and who calls the landlord. Who pays for the repair is set out in the tenancy agreement; if in doubt, the landlord can also call us in directly. In a house like that, a hair catcher in the shower and a jar for cooled frying fat will head off a lot of emergency call-outs.

Upstairs and downstairs flats in one building

If a building has been divided into separately owned flats, it comes with an owners' association (VvE), even if that association never actually meets. The shared drain is then usually common property, while the pipes inside your own flat belong to you. If water is leaking from the flat above into the one below, it's best to call us together and record the damage with photos. That avoids arguments later on, including with the insurer.

Your sewer connection and the municipality

In a family home, the drain runs under the garden or the pavement to the sewer in the street. In most municipalities, responsibility is split at the property boundary: whatever lies on your plot is the owner's, and the rest falls to the municipality (gemeente). The exact arrangements differ from one municipality to the next. With a drain camera, the plumber can see where a blockage or break is, so it's clear whose job it is to fix it.

Leak, cloudburst or boxed-in wall: three common call-outs in Nijmegen

An emergency plumber in Nijmegen sees some problems time and again. Here's how to keep the damage down until the plumber arrives.

A leaking shower in an upstairs flat

In upstairs flats, a leak in Nijmegen often starts at the shower: a worn silicone seal, a trap that has come loose or a leaking coupling under the bath. Turn off the main stopcock, warn the neighbours downstairs and get them to switch off the circuit if the water reaches a light fitting. Don't use the shower again until the plumber has found the source.

Water coming out of the cellar drain after a downpour

If water comes up through the cellar drain or the shower drain after a cloudburst, stop using water in the house: no flushing and no washing machine. Move things up off the floor and keep children and pets away from the dirty water. If the water doesn't drain away once the rain has stopped, there's probably a blockage in the sewer connection as well.

A leak behind a boxed-in wall in Lent

In newer homes in the Waalsprong, you usually only notice a leak by its effects: a damp skirting board, a tile that sounds hollow or a ceiling that's starting to discolour. Turn off the main stopcock and check whether the water meter has stopped. The plumber finds the source with a thermal imaging camera or a pressure test, so the boxed-in wall only has to be opened where the leak actually is.

Emergency plumber in Nijmegen: what happens when you call

Ring 085 115 0249 at any time of day or night; for a 24-hour plumber, there's no closing time. In a short call, tell us what's wrong and what you've tried so far. You'll get an honest assessment and a price estimate straight away. If you're happy to go ahead, we send a plumber, who is usually with you within the hour. In the narrow streets of the Benedenstad and the pedestrianised city centre, it can sometimes take a little while to get close to your door. During the Vierdaagse in July, when the city fills up with walkers and visitors, we allow for the crowds when planning.

Once there, the plumber first works out the cause, using a moisture meter, a thermal imaging camera or a camera inspection where needed. They then fix the problem, tell you what they've done and explain how to avoid a repeat.

Our emergency services in Nijmegen

As a plumber in Nijmegen, Breeman deals with blockages and leaks alike. Here's an overview of the jobs we do most often in the city.

Blockages

If your toilet won't empty, we clear it with a plunger, a drain snake or a machine; you can read more on our page about toilet unblocking. If your kitchen is flooding because of a blocked drain, the plumber will come and unblock the kitchen sink, jetting the pipe clean at high pressure if necessary. And if the shower won't drain because of hair and soap scum, find out how we clear a blocked shower drain.

Leaks and pipes

A damp patch that keeps spreading, a hissing sound in the wall or a water meter that keeps running while all the taps are off: these are all signs of a hidden leak. To track down the leak, the plumber measures the moisture in walls and floors and scans them with a thermal imaging camera; sometimes a pressure test follows. If a pipe has burst or a coupling is leaking, the next step is a water pipe repair, so your water is back on quickly without the risk of further damage.

What emergency help costs in Nijmegen

A simple job starts from €89. The call-out charge isn't included in that price. If you call in the evening, at night, at the weekend or on a public holiday, we charge an out-of-hours rate. For work where the scope is still unclear, such as a leak behind a boxed-in wall in Lent or an old drain that needs replacing in a building in the Benedenstad, you can ask for a quote first. Either way, you always know roughly what the job will cost before any work begins.

Waiting for the plumber: dos and don'ts

While you wait for the emergency plumber in Nijmegen, there's a lot you can do yourself to limit the damage. A few pointers:

• If there's a leak, turn off the main stopcock. In most homes in Nijmegen, it's in the meter cupboard; in old buildings, it's sometimes in the cellar.
• Switch off any circuits where water is getting close to the electrics.
• Don't flush a blocked toilet again.
• Don't use chemical drain cleaner or boiling water in a plastic waste pipe.
• Take photos of the damage for your insurer or the VvE.

When frost is on the way, it pays to act in advance. Insulate pipes in a crawl space, a garage or along an outside wall, and shut off the outside tap before the first overnight frost.

Beyond Nijmegen

Nijmegen and Arnhem are close neighbours, and you can call Breeman for emergency help in Arnhem too. We also work in Apeldoorn, Den Bosch and Eindhoven, and in fact throughout the Netherlands. Need a local plumber somewhere not mentioned here? See our full service area; the city pages are only a selection.

Got water on the floor right now, or a drain that just won't empty? Call 085 115 0249 and a plumber in Nijmegen will be with you as quickly as possible.