Burst pipes are every homeowner’s nightmare. It can cause catastrophic damage to flooring, furniture and other parts of your home, as well as being majorly stressful to deal with. As winter approaches in London, the risk of burst pipes becomes a real concern for homeowners across the city.
Dealing with a burst pipe in the dead of winter often means calling an emergency plumber in London – something every homeowner would prefer to avoid. You’ll almost definitely need to call in a plumber in London if this happens, and it could be expensive if it’s an emergency call-out. So the best thing to do is to take preventative action, to stop your pipes freezing in the first place.
Why Do Pipes Burst In Winter?
Pipes burst when the water inside them freezes. Water expands when it freezes, which increases the pressure inside the pipe. It could result in a kind of ‘pressure pile-up’ behind a closed tap, and with the pressure of the mains supply coming in behind the blockage.
If the pipe can’t withstand this pressure, it’s likely to burst at one or more of its weakest points. When the frozen water starts to thaw, this could result in a major leak.
Tips For Preventing Pipes Bursting
Barring extreme or unprecedented weather conditions, you should be able to take steps to prevent your pipes from freezing and/or bursting in winter.
Tip #1 – Insulate Your Pipes
By far the most crucial thing you can do to prevent your pipes from bursting in winter is to insulate them properly. It’s pretty cheap and easy to do too, with no need for specialist skills, tools or expert help.
Simply buy some inexpensive pipe lagging and fit them over pipes in the following areas:
– Outdoor pipework – this includes overflow pipes, heating drain pipes and outside taps, as well as valves and bends.
– Pipes in colder parts of your home – such as in garages, cellars, unheated cupboards and unused lofts.
If you have a water tank, it’s a good idea to buy and fit a tank jacket for it.
Tip #2 – Get Your Boiler Serviced
You should aim to have your boiler serviced annually, and definitely before winter. Inefficient boilers can lead to cold spots in your home and heating system, and these can be vulnerable to freezing during a cold snap.
Any registered Gas Safe heating engineer or plumber in London can carry out a boiler service, as well as carrying out any required repairs.
Tip #3 – Set Your Thermostats to at Least 7°C – Even When You’re Not Home
Going away for the night or the weekend? Even though you won’t be at home, you should set your thermostat to at least 7°C, or use any frost protection setting your thermostat has. This will ensure it doesn’t get too cold inside the house, which could create a risk of pipes freezing on colder winter nights.
Tip #4 – Turn Your Cold Water Off When You’re on Holiday
If you’ll be away for longer (such as for a week or fortnight-long holiday), you might want to turn your cold water supply off altogether. It’s as simple as finding your cold water stopcock and turning it.
You can then run the taps to effectively drain the system (remember to close them again once the water stops coming out). If there’s water in your pipes, it can’t freeze and cause a risk of bursting if the temperatures plummet while you’re away.
When to Call a Plumber in London for Burst Pipes
If the worst has happened and your pipes have burst, it’s recommended to call a professional plumber in right away. Apart from turning off your cold water supply, there won’t be much you can do to repair the problem yourself. You’ll need an expert to resolve the situation, hopefully before too much damage is done.
