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3 ways to guard against the risk of frozen or burst pipes at your property

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02-12-2021

It will likely be one of the biggest risks confronting your property this winter if you aren’t careful, and it’s certainly one that our own Leatherhead, Chertsey and Tadworth plumbers here at PGS Plumbers spend a lot of time warning about. 

Yes, we’re referring to the predicament of water pipes freezing or even bursting amid the current cold weather, which – if it happened to you – would be a sure way of souring your winter. 

But a frozen or burst water pipe isn’t something that ‘just happens’ at a South East England or London home; there are certain things that can drive up the likelihood of it arising. This means there are also steps you can take to lower your chances of becoming a ‘victim’. 

So, what such measures would we suggest? 

Get your pipes insulated 

The single biggest thing you can do to help guard against your water pipes suffering from a water blockage or bursting this winter, is getting them insulated. 

This isn’t something that you need a specialist to do – you’ll find insulation materials for sale at most DIY stores, and it’s a straightforward task to put them around your pipes and water tanks. This will provide the extra layer that could be crucial to reducing the chances of your pipes freezing. 

Run the taps from time to time  

Another good method for reducing the chances of the water in your property’s pipes turning into ice, is simply turning on your taps regularly while you are at home. 

You don’t have to spend much time running the taps for this purpose – and of course, those of you who are on a water meter will want to keep a close eye on water usage when doing this. The principle behind this is simply that the water in your pipes won’t have the chance to freeze if it is frequently moving. 

Maintain a certain level of warmth in your home 

Sure, if you are working from home at the time you read this, there might not seem much risk of your water pipes freezing as a result of your property generally not being warm enough. There’s a good chance you will have the heating cranked up already, and that’s great. 

But what if you’re set to spend some time away from your property over the Christmas period – for example, to stay with family elsewhere? In that case, it’s especially important to keep the house at a certain temperature during your time away. 

Doing this is as easy as leaving the thermostat on low, instead of turning your heating off entirely. As for what our plumbers consider to be “low”, we suggest setting it at 5 degrees C or slightly higher. It is below this temperature that the water in pipes can be at particular risk of freezing. 

At this point, you might be thinking, “heating costs are high at the moment – so isn’t it a bit of a waste, leaving the heating on when I’m not even in the property?” The response to that of our Woking, Purley and Tadworth plumbers would be, “not really – after all, the cost and stress involved in fixing a burst pipe and the damage it causes could be a lot worse!” 

Of course, even if you are diligent in taking steps like the above to minimise the chances of a frozen or burst water pipe at your London or South East property, you can never completely rule out the possibility of it happening. So don’t worry – if it does occur, you will be welcome to contact our specialist team for free advice and a competitive quote

 

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