The plumbing problems Dubai apartments have, in order of frequency
After 6,000+ plumbing visits across Dubai, here's what actually comes up — based on our internal dispatch logs:
- Blocked kitchen drain (28% of calls) — Almost always the U-bend or the building riser, caused by cooking-oil congealing. We snake it clear in 20 min. AED 220 typical.
- Leaking mixer tap (19%) — The cartridge inside the mixer has perished. Bring or supply a replacement (Grohe, Hansgrohe, Roca cartridges in stock), 25 min job. AED 220–280 with part.
- Toilet flush stuck or running (14%) — The fill valve or flush mechanism failed. Standard part, 20 min. AED 200–260.
- Water heater not heating (12%) — 80% of the time it's the heating element (calcium-encrusted in Dubai water) or the thermostat. Both are parts we carry for Ariston, Modena, and Crown. AED 350–550 with parts.
- Low water pressure on one outlet (9%) — Usually a partially blocked aerator on the tap, or a kinked flexi hose under the sink. AED 180 if it's the aerator (10 min), AED 240 with a replacement hose.
- Bathroom drain smell (7%) — Dry P-trap or a damaged seal at the floor drain. Re-seating with new silicone + topping up the trap fixes 95% of these. AED 220.
- Burst flexi hose / supply line (5%) — Usually under a sink, dramatic but quick to fix once we isolate the main. AED 240 with new braided hose.
- Geyser leaking from base (3%) — Tank failure, usually 8+ year old units. Replacement unit + install AED 650–1,100 depending on capacity (Ariston 50L vs 80L) + AED 220 labour.
- Pipe burst behind wall (2%) — Real emergency. We isolate the line, open the wall (with the building's permission), replace the section, and refer the wall + tile repair to our carpentry team. AED 600–1,400 typical.
- Backflow / sewage smell from drain (1%) — Building drain stack problem, usually requires building maintenance coordination on our part.
What we charge, plainly
| Job | Range (AED) |
|---|
| Visit + diagnosis (first 30 min) | 180 |
| Tap cartridge replacement (with part) | 220–280 |
| Blocked drain snake clear | 220–340 |
| Toilet flush valve / fill valve | 200–260 |
| Geyser element + thermostat (with parts) | 350–550 |
| Geyser full replacement (50L Ariston supply + install) | 870 / 1,320 (80L) |
| Emergency after-hours surcharge (22:00–06:00) | + 80 |
Coverage
All Dubai areas. We have technicians stationed in Al Quoz, Business Bay, JVC, and Mirdif — dispatch to any neighbourhood in Dubai is 30–90 min depending on time of day. For Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi we coordinate cross-emirate handover with our partner technicians (add 30 min and AED 80 fuel charge). For real burst-pipe emergencies in Dubai we will pre-authorise a colleague to head to your address while you're still on the phone with us, to minimise the time the water is running through the ceiling.
