Advice for Frozen Pipes
It’s clear to most of us that we’re now entering the winter season. Christmas lights and decorations are lighting up the streets and towns as well as our houses. It was predicted that this Winter was going to be particularly harsh due to such mild Autumn months.
This means that your pipes will be particularly vulnerable to freezing this season. There are a number of things you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing and ultimately bursting.
A burst pipe can cause serious damage to your house and property. It can also be costly to fix.
The first is to keep your heating on. We know that this can be costly so we don’t advise that you keep it on 24/7 but rather at regular intervals so the hot water has chance to go round your pipes.
Running your cold taps both indoor and outdoor will encourage movement to flush out any water that is close to freezing. This will also have to be done at regular intervals or allow a constant trickle of water.
Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like our Tubolit pipe sleeves or installing UL-listed heat tape or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes.
If you own a second property that is vacant at the moment, whether it is rented or a holiday home, make sure its water has been drained by a professional plumber.
If your pipes have frozen solid then the first thing you should do is turn off the stop-cock in case the pipe has burst but the water is frozen. You’ll know if your pipes are frozen as no water will be coming from the tap or possibly just a trickle. The flow will return once the pipes have warmed up and any frozen water has melted.
It is possible to speed up the process of thawing such as warming the pipes manually with heated towels/padding or hot air equipment such as heaters or hair dryers.
During this time it might be wise to check all the taps in your home to see if you have multiple frozen pipes.
To find out more about protecting your pipework all year round then please feel free to ask us any questions on your plumbing needs and we’ll be happy to help.
