General Information
Winter Tips
A sustained period of iciness and wintry conditions could mean that you are more likely to experience problems with your water pipes than in recent years.
Frozen and burst pipes are inconvenient, and leaks are often expensive to repair. Prepare yourself this winter and avoid the unnecessary waste of water and damage to your home that burst pipes can bring.
Act now to protect your property before the weather worsens. Read our tips and advice so that you can prepare for the worst.
Read on for some useful tips:
- 1. Even a low heat can help you to avoid problems, maintain low heat whilst you are out during the day, during the night and if you are away for a few days.
- 2. A dripping tap is a sign of a problem and should be fixed, even a gentle trickle of water could freeze and block the pipe.
- 3. If you have outside taps, insulate them, or even better, turn them off at their stop tap during the winter period.
- 4. Check your home insurance to ensure you are covered for any emergency repairs.
- 5. Keep the number of a reputable plumber handy, ideally one who has Approved Plumber registration with the local water supplier. Our sister company - Pipeline Services has Approved Plumber status and can be contacted on tel: 0121 521 2806 if you require a quote for plumbing work to be undertaken.
- 6. Protect your pipes - see here for more information.
- 7. Locate and label your stop tap/s, these are usually found in the kitchen or utility room, or in a ground floor bathroom or garage - most likely wherever the water pipe enters the premises.
- 8. Leave your loft hatch slightly open to allow warm air to enter your roof space.
- 9. A device called a 'Froststat' can be fitted to the coldest areas within your central heating system. This automatically turns on your heating when the temperature falls below a certain level.
- 10. Protect the pipe leading to your water meter (if you have one). These tend to be in areas that are particularly vulnerable to the cold and could also freeze, blocking your supply.
- Responsibility in the case of an emergency
- Protect your pipes, water tank and cistern
- Know where your branch stop tap is located and how to turn it off
- Heating your home
- If the Worst Happens
Responsibility in the case of an emergency.
Although we look after the pipework up to the boundary of your home, you are responsible for the pipework from the boundary and all of the pipework inside your house.(top)
Protect your pipes, water tank and cistern.
Insulate all pipework in unheated areas like lofts, roofs, outbuildings and garages. Also, lag any cold water storage cisterns in your loft. The necessary equipment is usually available at DIY stores and local plumber’s merchants.
Insulate your water tank using approved materials around the sides and top only, (insulating underneath will block the flow of warm air from your home and could increase the risk of freezing.)
Insulate your cold water storage cistern using glass fibre lagging or insulating boards
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Know where your stop tap is located and how to turn it off.
The stop tap within the boundary of your property - for which you are responsible, is known as a branch stop tap. Make sure you know where your own branch stop tap is in case you need to turn off your water supply in an emergency.
Your branch stop tap is often found in the kitchen or utility room, or in a ground floor bathroom or garage - most likely wherever the water pipe enters the premises.
It may be a good idea to label the stop tap.
Check that it is working correctly on a regular basis.
If you are leaving your property for a few days over the winter period, it may be a good idea to turn off your water using your branch stop tap.
(Reliance should not be placed on the main stop tap, which is often found at the boundary of your property. This is our responsibility and we have specialist equipment with which to isolate a supply if necessary, even without using the main stop tap – for example: if it has become damaged or stuck
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Unfortunately, insulation alone is not enough to protect your home from long cold wintry periods, your house needs regular heating to protect it further.
Use your thermostat to maintain a low level of heat, or at least set it to come on once or twice a day for a period of time – especially if you are going to be away for a few days. (Your pipes are more at risk if your house is unoccupied and unheated.).
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Frozen pipes:
If you have no water during a severe frost, check with your neighbours. If they have a supply – your pipes may be frozen.
Check your pipes for signs of splitting. Remember – that if your pipes are damaged – a burst will only become apparent when the frozen water in the pipes thaws and can escape.
Shut off your internal stop tap and drain your system by flushing the toilet and opening cold taps over sinks/baths etc (Dont turn on the hot taps as this may cause you further problems.) Also, switch off the central heating and any water heating appliances (boiler, immersion heater, etc).
If your pipes are intact, open the taps and thaw the pipes with hot water bottles or heated cloths, alternatively, taking great care you could use an electric fan or hairdryer. Warning! Take care as a damaged pipe may spray water as it thaws. Always start thawing the pipe at the end nearest the tap. Never apply a direct flame.
Once you’ve thawed your pipes and you’re satisfied that no damage is present, and no leakage is occurring, close the taps you have opened and slowly open the stop tap. Check your pipes again now that they’re under pressure and only when you’re happy switch on water heating appliances, boilers , immersion heaters etc. Do not do this until you are sure the system has thawed out. (After freezing has occurred there is a risk of explosion if heat is suddenly applied.)
Remember – all the pipes within your boundary are your responsibility.
If you’re in any doubt about what to do please seek expert advice from a plumber
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