1st Porter Call Plumbing & Drains

1st Porter Call was started in 2008 by Alan Porter, a Plumbing and Drainage Engineer with 30 years of experience. Alan Porter has 20 years working with the local council, a leading water company, facility management clients and domestic customers. 1st Porter Call is a Buy With Confidence member, the Trading Standards approved scheme. The company provides plumbing and drainage services for homes, landlords and businesses.

It serves Southampton, Hampshire and the South of England, with engineers based in Eastleigh. The coverage area includes Southampton, Winchester, Portsmouth, Chandlers Ford, Fareham, Romsey and Hedge End. Its legal entity is 1st Porter Call Ltd, trading as 1st Porter Call. Services include drain unblocking, CCTV drain surveys, drain repairs and plumbing services.

Emergency callouts for blocked sinks, flooded bathrooms and long-running drainage faults in Chandler's Ford run through the accounts left for this firm, and one name, Alan, appears again and again. Customers describe him as polite and knowledgeable, able to recognise the cause as soon as he arrives, whether the trouble comes from food waste and fat in an outside drain or from heavy limescale narrowing a wastewater pipe.

Reviewers frequently point to the equipment brought along, including jetting gear and a camera passed through the pipe afterwards to demonstrate how clear it has become, with the reasons for the blockage explained as the images are shown. Punctuality and communication feature strongly, from a response within an hour of an emergency call to arrangements agreed in advance and arrival at the time set.

Thoroughness is another recurring point, with one inspection uncovering several issues and advice given on how to deal with them rather than a quick plunge and departure. Tidiness is noted as well, one account recording that all mess was cleared away, while another mentions an issue logged with the water authority on the householder's behalf. Reconnection work and better mains water pressure also come up, along with pricing described as fair and reasonable, and appointments made with a courteous manner.