Don’t let the big freeze cause a plumbing nightmare!
January 12, 2010
The bitterly cold start to 2010 is causing many problems for home owners and especially with household plumbing. As a result of the freezing cold temperatures there has been an increase in the number of home floods and damp problems caused by burst water pipes and frozen water pipes. Burst pipes can cause serious water damage not just to the contents of the building but to the construction of the property. As a result of a burst water pipe the property has to be thoroughly dried out and treated effectively to prevent future problems such as damp and dry rot.
Mark Edwards, Chief Executive of Timberwise, comments: ” The bitterly cold weather is causing major headaches for home owners. Burst water pipes caused by the prolonged freezing temperatures can cause serious water damage which can lead to future problems.”
” By taking a few simple precautions homeowners can greatly reduce the risk of pipes freezing. Nobody wants to come back home from a Winter break to a cold, damp surprise!”
Top 10 tips to stop burst pipes and damp problems
The following tips will all keep your home free of burst pipes and damp problems:
- Insulate pipes that are most exposed to the freezing temperatures – not forgetting the corners and elbows of pipework – these tend to be exposed more than other parts. Supplies of insulation can be found at most DIY stores.
- In very cold weather, check all your taps from time to time. If little or no water flows there may be frozen water in the pipes.
- Do you know where your stopcock is? 1 in 3 home owners don’t! The stopcock is used to cut off the flow of water so make sure you know where yours is.
- Ask a friend or neighbour to check on your home if you are going away for any time. This will ensure that any burst pipes are spotted early and damage minimised.
- Turn off any indoor valves on pipes that lead to taps outside your home. Then open the outside tap and leave it in the open position to allow any water in the pipe to drain. This will make sure that there is no water in the pipe to freeze.
- Have your central heating checked and serviced regularly. A leaking radiator valve can cause water and damp problems.
- Insulate your loft, pipes and the sides of your water tank.
- Open the loft trap door on cold days to let heat in
- Re-washer dripping taps because if they freeze they’ll block the pipe. This will also it will save up to a litre of water a day and your money if it’s a hot tap.
- In very cold weather the heating will need to be on low, or set to come on a couple of times a day, especially if you’re going away. Most modern boilers have a frost protection thermostat, which turns on automatically if the temperature drops to a level that will cause your pipes to freeze.
If you discover you do have a burst pipe the advice is simple:
1. Turn off the water
2. Turn off the water heating systems
3. Turn off the electrics
4. Call a professional to repair any damage
Click here for more detailed advice on what to do if you discover a burst pipe.
Further help with damp problems
Timberwise are experts in all forms of dampness in buildings. For more information about damp and damp problems in homes visit our damp proofing web page. Here you will also find our damp proofing video designed to give you helpful advice on a variety of damp proofing problems.
