Emergency repairs in Oldham, 24/7

A burst pipe in a Werneth terrace, keys lost on Union Street, a dead fuse board, slates torn off by a Pennine gale or a smashed window in Glodwick: PrimeFix247 Ltd handles every one of these across Oldham, day and night.

Oldham grew on cotton. Its population climbed from just over 12,000 in 1801 to 137,000 by 1901, and by 1928 more than 360 mills were running. Most of the housing built for those mill workers survives as rows of red-brick terraces, many of them two-up two-down homes from roughly 1870 to 1920, in districts such as Werneth, Glodwick, Coldhurst and Hathershaw. Later council estates like Fitton Hill and Sholver added semis, houses and flats. The town stands about 700 feet up in the Pennine foothills, so wind, frost and driving rain test slate roofs, chimney stacks and gutters harder than in lower parts of Greater Manchester. Terraces often share back alleys and drains, and some still hide old lead supply pipes. Many were rewired at some point, though older fuse boards survive, and uPVC has replaced most of the original timber front doors.

What to do first in Oldham

Plumbing in Oldham

Shut the water off first. In most Oldham terraces the stopcock sits under the kitchen sink, though in older two-up two-downs it can be behind the front door or at the top of the cellar steps. If it has seized, the outside stop tap is usually under a small pavement cover. Then switch off the immersion and catch the drip.

Locksmith in Oldham

Get somewhere safe and warm, then ring. Please don’t force a uPVC door, because bending the multipoint mechanism turns a quick opening into a bigger repair. If you rent one of the many terraced lets around Coldhurst, let your landlord know too. Have a bill or bank card with your name and address handy.

Electrical in Oldham

See whether the street lights and the house next door are out. If they are, call 105, the free power cut line, to report it and hear when power should return. If only your home is dark, check the fuse board, which in older Oldham terraces is often under the stairs or high above the front door. Reset a tripped switch once, no more.

Roofing in Oldham

Oldham stands high, so storms land hard here. If slates have slipped or water is getting in, clear belongings out of the way, put a container under the drip and stay off the roof. Avoid the loft in the dark, where joists are hard to see. Note where the water appears, as it helps trace the cause.

Glazing and boarding up in Oldham

Keep children and pets away from the glass and sweep up wearing thick gloves. Where a ground-floor window or a glazed door panel is smashed on a terrace that opens straight onto the pavement, the house is not secure. Tape card over small cracks, then call so the gap can be boarded up until new glass goes in.

Covering all of Oldham

We cover the whole of Oldham, from the town centre and Yorkshire Street out to Werneth, Glodwick, Derker, Moorside and Fitton Hill. Hollinwood, Chadderton, Royton and Lees are covered too, across the OL1, OL2, OL4, OL8 and OL9 postcode districts.

Including Yorkshire Street, Union Street, Huddersfield Road, Ashton Road, Lees Road, Park Road, King Street, Werneth Hall Road, Ripponden Road and Queens Road.

Also Werneth, Glodwick, Hollinwood, Chadderton, Royton, Lees, Derker, Moorside and Fitton Hill.

Nearby: Middleton, Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne, Denton.

This page also covers Chadderton, Royton and Saddleworth.