|
Hello Paul
Minus temperatures are here from the Arctic and this article is meant to provide a short informative guide on preventing your pipes from freezing and also what the first thing you should do if you have a burst pipe and it’s not to call a plumber.
Remember - A Frozen Pipe that has burst will not start leaking until thawing has taken place and the water is flowing again. Also follow some of these tips to ensure you are calling a plumber and NOT an Emergency Plumber.
Contents
- Pipework most at risk
- Other Pipework at risk
- Immediate preventive measures to stop your pipes from freezing
- Long Term Prevention and Tips
- Being Prepared for the Worst
- Burst Pipe “What to Do” (In my opinion :) )
1. Pipework Most at Risk
- Un-occupied and un-heated properties
- This includes Landlords with vacant properties
- Exterior pipework
2. Other Pipework at Risk
- Pipework in Occupied Properties but in Un-Heated areas e.g. lofts, outside toilets/utiilty areas If you have recently upgraded or increased the thickness of your loft insulation not only will it be keeping your home warmer but it will be keeping your loft colder - Do you have exposed pipework in your loft ?
3. Immediate Preventive Measures - STOP your pipes from freezing
- Keep your property heated - a lower temperature for longer will be better than a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. Remember all you need to do is keep the temperature above 0 Degrees C
- Night time temperatures will be lower than daytime temperatures - for un-occupied properties think about having the heat on low overnight as opposed to the day
- Crack Open Your Loft Hatch - Yes you will get some cold air onto your landing but you will be putting some warm air into your loft which may be just enough to keep the temperature above freezing point
- Isolate Your Outside Tap from Inside (if you have a separate isolation point) and drain out any excess water left in the pipe work by turning the outside tap on
4. Long Term Prevention and Tips
- Get heating installed in any unheated areas containing pipework
- Uncover a small area of insulation beneath your cold water storage tank
- Properly insulate any pipework in unheated areas - e.g. loft - Use high grade/quality with thicker walls, tape on in areas where they are likely to be knocked around/off
- Fit an accessible and working isolation point for your outside tap
- A new, good quality stop valve for your mains water supply
5. Be Prepared
- Do you know where your stop valve is inside your home ? ( recent building works may have seen its location change or it disappear from view)
- Is your stop valve accessible and in working order i.e. its not seized and you can turn it off ?
- Do you know where the stop valve outside your home is ?
- Can you reach this valve by hand or do you need a stop key ? screwfix sell a short one for £7.99 and a longer one for £25.99
If you have a stop valve that will not budge this article in the help centre may be of interest to you how to un-seize a stop valve
6. Burst Pipe - What to Do’ (In my opinion ‘)
Water pouring down your walls and through your ceiling ? - DON’T REACH FOR THE PHONE- REACH FOR THE TAPS !
- Immediately turn on all the taps/showers in the property and if you have someone with you get them to start flushing the toilets
- Quite simply the more water that you put into the plug hole the less there will be coming through your ceiling. Much like when you turn on the tap in the kitchen the shower goes that little bit slower - there is only so much water than can come into your house at one time - Start to send the water down the drain and not down your walls
- Next - If possible try and isolate the water coming into the house in this order
- From your stop valve inside your house or from the road
- Failing the above, and if you have a cold water storage tank, stop it from filling by lifting the ball valve (you can put some wood/broom handle across and tie it up) - depending on where your leak is from, this may or may not stop the water from flowing once the tank is empty
Now it’s time to call a plumber and hopefully you have changed your position from needing to call an Emergency Plumber to calling a Plumber saving yourself hundreds of pounds on the way
Hopefully you have found this useful and it might help prevent any minor catastrophe in your home.
Do you have any top tips ? Please share your top tips in the comments below.
Kind Regards
Paul
Handyman Bookings
|
