Winter Weather Precautions Household/Residential Property Owners

Every winter millions of pounds of damage are experienced by households and businesses from burst pipes. roof snow collapses and water ingress.  However, when temeratures start to fall, by taking some basic precautions and planning ahead, many incidents can be prevented or the effects of damage minimised:

• Make sure that exposed water pipes and tanks in the loft are properly insulated.
• Do not insulate underneath water tanks as warmth from below will help to prevent the water from freezing.
• Leave your heating on "constant" ie 24 hours per day during severe freezing temperatures.
• Know where your main stop valve is located and make sure you can turn it on/off with ease.  It's also a good idea to label it so that all the household are fully aware of its location in an emergency situation.
• Repair dripping taps.  It is usually just a washer that is needed.
• A constantly dripping overflow pipe is a sure sign that your system requires some maintenance.
• If, during freezing conditions, the heating fails or makes loud banging noises, this could indicate that a pipe is freezing. 
• Turn off the boiler and call a plumber immediately - you may already have an annual contract with a plumber.
• Pay particular attention to boilers that have drain and condensate lines as these can freeze very quickly.
• Make sure that gutters and drainage systems are inspected and cleared of any obstructions, leaves or other debris. Overhanging icicles may indicate that guttering is not draining thawing snow adequately

When you leave your home/residential let property unoccupied:

• If you plan to go away, for no matter how short a period, leave your heating on constantly if a cold spell is predicted.
• Also check if any unoccupancy conditions will apply to your insurance policy.
• Do isolate the domestic water supply if your home is to be left for a long period.
• Leave the loft hatch open to allow warm air to circulate into the loft space.
• Even if you leave your home for longer than one day, ask a neighbour or relative to check the house regularly so that any problems can be detected and dealt with immediately

Follow these simple steps should you experience a burst pipe:

• Turn off the water supply at the main stop valve.
• Contact an approved plumbing and heating engineer for assistance.
• If you should locate a frozen pipe, NEVER use a naked flame to thaw it out.  A hot water bottle will assist in achieving a gradual defrost, always starting from the end nearest the tap