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Winter chills; your plumbing’s worst nightmare!

Is your plumbing ready for winter?

The colder weather poses a new problem for household plumbing. As the weather is becoming noticeably colder and with that we should all be thinking about how to prepare our homes for the upcoming freeze!

Unfortunately an extra jumper or wrapping up your pipes with a hat and scarf are not going to work. Practical preparations need to be put in place now to prevent damage in later months.

The most common grievance in winter is the freezing and bursting of the garden taps. To prevent damage to the taps in your garden, we recommend that you turn off the inside tap that controls water flow to outside. Then open the outside tap allowing any water to drain out. It is best to leave the taps in this state this until the warmer weather arrives.

It’s not just your external pipework that becomes vulnerable in the colder weather. Internal pipework, particularly those in the roof space and garages, are at risk. It is important to protect the most vulnerable pipes so check for lost tiles and poor insulation where winter winds and chilling temperatures can lower the temperature quickly.

Modern adaption such as double glazing, good insulation and modern boilers better prepare most houses for winter ensuring that the most heat is kept in. Modern boilers now have frost free protection which will turn the boiler on if the temperature drops below a certain temperature preventing the unit from freezing during winter. We recommend that you ask your heating engineer whether your boiler has frost free protection during your annual service.

JPS Plumbing’s Top Tips for surviving winter

  • Know where your stop cock is
  • Insulate vulnerable pipes
  • Ensure that your boiler is serviced
  • Enjoying a winter holiday, with friends for the Christmas holiday? Then leave the central heating on and set your thermostat to approx. 14ᵒC

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