At this time of the year, we start to really feel the temperatures drop as the days become shorter and cooler. For your plumbing this can be bad news, as something which is a common occurrence throughout the winter months is burst pipes.
When the temperatures drop below zero, this of course causes anything that is not protected from the cold to freeze up – including pipes. At this time of the year we are more reliant than ever on our pipes working properly to provide hot water and heat to our homes, which makes it a busy time for services like this boiler repair Cheltenham based company https://www.hprservicesltd.com/cheltenham-boilers/boiler-repair-cheltenham so it is best to make sure that your pipes are ready to handle the drop in temperatures.
Preparation for the Winter
There are a few things that can be done to reduce the risk of pipes freezing. Lagging is something that can be placed around all visible pipes, and is a foam-based material that can prevent the cold from getting in. If you have a dripping tap, it is now that you want to get this fixed, as this is actually a common cause of freezing pipes. Hose pipes that are left attached to outdoor taps can also cause pipes to freeze and then burst, so make sure that before a cold snap, you disconnect the hosepipe from the tap and make sure that the tap is properly turned off.
What to do if your Pipe is Frozen
If you have actually got a frozen pipe, the first thing that you need to do is locate the main water supply for your home and turn it off. This is most likely going to be under the kitchen sink in most homes. Doing this will prevent more damage from occurring if the pipe does burst and stop pressure from building up inside the pipe.
If you have valuables that might be damaged by a burst pipe such as furniture, electrical items and rugs for example, then move them away so that if the pipe does burst it is not likely to cause as much damage.
If you know where the frozen pipe is, it needs to be thawed out slowly – doing it too fast could cause the pipe to burst so warm it gently with warm air, nothing that is very hot should be applied to it.
