Protect against frozen pipes
As winter in now upon us it’s time to start thinking about protecting our homes against the weather, one of the main things people forget about is their piping system which if not properly maintained and protected can freeze and burst causing thousands of pounds worth of damage and lots of misery. Below are some tips to help prevent that from happening:
Checks
You firstly will need to locate your main stop taps for the supply into your home. These are usually on the ground floor of your home or even garages where the ‘mains’ enters your home, make sure everyone in the household knows where they are in case the worst happens, also check to make sure they are in good working order.
Check all taps around your home and repair any that are dripping or replace with new more economical taps, because according to experts even a gentle trickle of water can freeze and block a pipe. Also outside taps need to be protected during winter when they are not use by turning off the stop tap for them, that’s located in the inside wall adjacent to where the supply pipe exits the wall, and insulating the tap.
Check all pipes, if any are bare these need be securely insulated with pipe lagging (available from most DIY stores) and should be at least 50mm in diameter.
Protect
Starting at the top of your house, most tanks are often here, make sure they are fully insulated in preformed plastic tank jackets filled with glass fibre matting however be aware not to insulate the bottom of your tank as the warm air from the rooms below won’t be able to keep it warm.
In very cold weather it is recommended that you keep you heating on low when you are either out or asleep but especially if you go away for a couple of days.
If you are still unsure you can always contact a qualified plumber who can either do the work for you or advise you.
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