Although we are not experiencing freezing conditions like many of us were last week, the weather could easily still change after Christmas from the heavy rain.
Thames Water suggest the following tips: - These are simple ways to keep your home snug and your pipes from freezing this winter, which could save you a lot of hassle, damage and expense:
1 Wrap up your pipes: When water freezes it expands which can cause pipes to crack. Make sure you protect any pipes that are exposed to the cold – including in the loft and garage, and taps on external walls, by wrapping them in foam lagging.
Watch the Thames Water short film on how to do this here
2 Plan ahead: Make sure you know where your inside stop tap is in case you need to turn it off quickly in an emergency (usually located under the kitchen sink) and that you have the details of a good plumber to hand.
3 Keep your home snug: Minimise draughts from outside and, when it’s very cold, leave your loft hatch open so warm air can circulate. Also leave your heating on low when you are away.
What to do if your pipes freeze.....
1 Gently warm up your pipes: Turn off your inside stop tap and check all visible pipes for any evidence of
damage. If you can identify which pipe is frozen you can gently warm it up using a hairdryer at its lowest
setting or a hot water bottle wrapped in a tea towel. Be very careful not to warm them too quickly as they may burst.
Watch the Thames Water short film on how to defrost your pipes here
2 Call a plumber if you need help or your pipe bursts:
Once your pipes have thawed, double check to make sure there are no leaks before turning the stop tap back on and turning on heating appliances. If you find a leak, call a certified plumber.
With all the heavy rain and flooding, there could of course be sewer flooding. The Thames Water website contains a olot of useful information including the page - "Sewer flooding"
They end up with some useful insurance information as well saying "It is important that you contact your household insurance provider straightaway and tell them about any damage caused by the flooding. If you do not do this, it may affect any insurance claims you need to make."
You should do the same if you have any burst pipes and let the insurance company's helpline know straightaway. Very useful advice from Thames Water
Whether it is your home property or you are a landlord of a let property do make sure you have adequate property insurance. If you are renting a property remember that in the UK, your landlord's insurance will not normally cover your personal possessions.
Visit the jml-Property-Insurance site today to get insurance cover for normal residences second homes, holiday homes, let property, overseas property (main residence and holiday homes) properties in flood areas and one that have experienced subsidence. Go to the site here and be prepared by taking out insurance from one of the advertisers on that site.
No comments:
Post a Comment