UK plumbing product advice from 18 years in the trade
Which products are worth buying, what they should cost, and when the cheap one will do. Written by someone who spent 18 years selling them to plumbers.
I'm Nick Jolliffe. I spent 16 years running plumbers merchants across the south of the UK and a couple more with an independent merchant, which means I have sold most of what is on this site to the people who fit it for a living.
That is a useful place to judge products from. You see which brands come back through the returns door, which ones the fitters ask for by name, and what the real difference is between the budget option and the one that costs three times as much.
Every recommendation here is mine, there is no team, and I am not a plumber. Where a job legally needs a registered engineer, I will say so rather than talk you into it.
Our latest articles
How to Descale a Kettle: Every Method, Priced Per Use
White vinegar, citric acid, lemon or a branded sachet: every kettle descaling method compared with the cost per descale, the one thing you must never mix it with, and how often yours needs doing for your water hardness.
Best Limescale Remover: Which Acid, and What It Will Damage
Every limescale remover is an acid, and the safety data sheets say which one. The verified chemistry, a surface-by-surface damage table, and the real cost per litre.
Water Softener Salt: Which Type, How Much, and Where It Is Cheapest
Salt is the part of owning a water softener that nobody thinks about before they buy,...
How to Bleed a Radiator Without a Key
Which tool actually fits the valve, which one rounds the brass off, and the things people try that were never going to work.
Why Your Boiler Keeps Losing Pressure, and How to Find the Cause
A boiler that drifts down over months and one that empties within days are two different faults. Sort yours by how fast the gauge falls, then find the cause.
No Heating but Hot Water? How to Find the Fault Before You Call Anyone
Hot water fine but the radiators are cold? Route by boiler type first, work the six free checks that save a callout fee, and find out exactly where the job legally needs a Gas Safe engineer.
Best Mixer Showers In 2026
Mixer showers have become an essential fixture in UK bathrooms, perfectly combining hot...
Mira Sport Electric Shower Review: Which Model, and Will It Fit?
A merchant’s-eye review of the Mira Sport range: which of the four variants to buy, the £58 price gap between merchants on the same unit, the guarantee condition nobody mentions, and the circuit question that catches people out.
Popular articles
Best Mixer Showers In 2026
Mixer showers have become an essential fixture in UK bathrooms, perfectly combining hot and cold...
How to Descale a Kettle: Every Method, Priced Per Use
White vinegar, citric acid, lemon or a branded sachet: every kettle descaling method compared with the cost per descale, the one thing you must never mix it with, and how often yours needs doing for your water hardness.
Mira Sport Electric Shower Review: Which Model, and Will It Fit?
A merchant’s-eye review of the Mira Sport range: which of the four variants to buy, the £58 price gap between merchants on the same unit, the guarantee condition nobody mentions, and the circuit question that catches people out.
Central Heating Inhibitor: How Much You Need, and When to Top It Up
Fernox F1, Sentinel X100 and Adey MC1+ do not dose at the same rate, so a 500ml bottle does not mean the same thing across brands. How much inhibitor your system needs, what it costs per litre treated, and the six events that mean you need to top up.
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Bathroom Articles
Nick Jolliffe
16 years running plumbers merchants across the south of the UK, plus two more with an independent merchant. Now runs Sonick Marketing, doing digital marketing for plumbers and other trades. Writes everything on this site.
Editors Picks
Best Mixer Showers In 2026
Mixer showers have become an essential fixture in UK bathrooms, perfectly combining hot and cold...
Mira Sport Electric Shower Review: Which Model, and Will It Fit?
A merchant’s-eye review of the Mira Sport range: which of the four variants to buy, the £58 price gap between merchants on the same unit, the guarantee condition nobody mentions, and the circuit question that catches people out.
Central Heating Inhibitor: How Much You Need, and When to Top It Up
Fernox F1, Sentinel X100 and Adey MC1+ do not dose at the same rate, so a 500ml bottle does not mean the same thing across brands. How much inhibitor your system needs, what it costs per litre treated, and the six events that mean you need to top up.
MagnaClean and Central Heating Magnetic Filters: What They Catch, What They Miss and Which One Fits
MagnaClean is Adey’s brand name, not a category. What a magnetic filter actually traps, what it cannot touch, which size fits the space you have, and how often it has to be emptied.