As the temperature gradually dips lower each day, and December fast approaches, we know that by January we’ll be getting early morning frosts, and in some parts of the country snow and hail. This is bound to play havoc with our pipes, and could ultimately could cause our heating to seize up completely - which is exactly what we don’t want when we're experiencing freezing cold weather.
How can pipes be prevented from freezing?
If you’re unlucky enough to experience frozen pipes ,then you may see further damage with burst pipes and eventual flooding. The water damage, as you can imagine, would be pretty devastating and cause terrific damage to your home. In order to prevent expensive repairs it’s really important you do as much as you can to keep your pipes from freezing.
When your taps are turned off your pipes will naturally still have some water in them, and as the temperature drops your pipes can freeze with the water inside, thus causing you to be without any water. Where there are pipes that remain unheated, such as in attics or unused rooms, they won’t get enough heat, and will likely be the biggest culprits when it comes to your pipes seizing up altogether.
In order to try and prevent this we suggest you run the taps each day so as to prevent pressure building up. Keep an eye out for taps that don’t produce any water - it’s time to call in a plumber if you see this happening.
It’s a good idea to insulate your water tanks and pipes.
The colder and less used homes will be likely to suffer with frozen pipes more, so it pays to make sure your pipes are insulated. Fibreglass or foam rubber are two materials used for pipe insulation but you’ll need to work out whether your pipes extend to below floors or in walls as this will hike up the cost.
Keep the heat switched on.
Another solution is to leave your heating on for longer and this will prevent freezing and bursting of pipes. It doesn’t have to be costly to do this, all you need to do is to have the heating on at a reasonable temperature with just enough heat to stop the pipes from freezing over. The heating doesn’t have to be on full blast.
Run your taps regularly as this will also prevent water from freezing in your pipes.
Keep an eye on water usage, especially if you have a water meter. You could also try draining the water system, but only do this if you’re going away for most of the winter, keeping in mind there won’t be any water left in the tank and no water to wash or clean with. Only let the cold water run until there’s nothing left, not the hot.
Keep doors open indoors as it will help heat circulate throughout your home
This will help to keep your pipes warm. See if there are any gaps in your pipes and seal them, this will stop cold air from coming in. Use heating tape to cover up the gaps, as it will help to keep pipes warm. The heating tape works in one of two ways, either plugging and unplugging it from the mains, while the second will turn itself off and on without you needing to do anything. Basically heating tape works like an electric blanket. Follow any instructions rigidly as you don’t want to cause an accident, they can be dangerous if not monitored carefully.
East of Scotland Drainage Services - Speak to the Experts
Finally, if you’re looking for help or advice then get in touch and one of our team can talk you through our processes and how we work.