With freezing temperatures set to hit the UK again, don’t let the snow district you from making sure your pipes are in tip-top condition.
It’s essential to make sure your home’s pipes can withstand the cold snap. A frozen pipe is a huge convenience, and if the problem isn’t fixed straight away, it can lead to flooding.
Turn off your water supply
The first step to take is to shut off your water supply to prevent water filling up near the site of the freeze – which is how burst pipes occur. You will then need to find your stopcock – they’re usually hidden under the sink, or in the loft if you have a cold-water tank – and turn it off to catch it before the situation gets any worse.
Find the freeze
For the second step, it’s time to find the freeze. You’ll need to find out how bad the freeze is on the problem pipe. Freezes tend to occur on pipes near exterior walls, or chilly spaces in the house like garages or underneath a sink. Look out for bulges in the piping or signs of frost around the outside, and carefully feel the temperature of the piping. Freezes disrupt the flow of water, so listen out for unnatural clunks in the system as well.
Thaw the area
Once you’ve found the cause of the problem, remove any furniture from the area and place towels around the floor just in case the pipe bursts. Then, carefully warm the pipe. To warm a pipe, you can soak a towel with hot water and wrap it around the bulge or use a hairdryer on a low setting. Never use a blowtorch or naked flame, because exposing a pipe to too much heat can damage or rupture the piping.
Know when to call in the experts
Some freezes are too difficult to find, or too large for a quick fix. If this is the case, don’t waste time when it comes to phoning an
emergency plumber Nottingham in for help – the longer a freeze is left, the more likely it is to lead to a burst.
Prevent future freezes
Once the water is back up and running, it’s vital to take steps to ensure pipes don’t freeze again. Insulating exposed pipes near fittings or corners is easy and can save you time and money in the long run; Buy some lagging material from your nearest DIY shop and fit it around the pipe. Make sure your boiler is in top condition too and reduce drafts around your home.
