Winter plumbing tips

Winter is coming, and with its arrival comes a variety of potential plumbing problems. Burst pipes, flooding, and cold showers are just a few of the problems households face during the winter months. Fortunately there are a few precautions you can take to minimise plumbing disasters.

•Have your boiler serviced. There is nothing worse on a frosty morning than waking up to a cold house and no hot water or returning home to find the boiler has packed up.
•Leave your heating on low, leave taps that are in a vulnerable place to frost on a constant drip. If pipes are frozen, leave taps on full, this will take pressure out of the pipes, and use a hairdryer to thaw out.
•Even well lagged pipes can freeze when they have been left unheated for a while. Lagging and insulation only acts as a barrier, therefore if no heat is going in, it will not prevent freezing. Every few days, check out pipes in basements, or unused areas of your houses to make sure no ice/ frost is accumulation or cracks developing.
•Unattach your garden hoses from outside taps before the cold weather comes along. If you have an isolation valve for your outside tap, shut this off and leave your tap open.
• Cooking oils and fats are more likely to collect and clog your pipes in cold weather. Try to avoid pouring these items down your sink as they will quickly lead to problems.
•Use filters over drains to trap hair and solid objects and therefore prevent problematic blockages.
These tips are provided by courtesy of one of our contacts Rick Keepe of RK Bathrooms and Heating we hope you find them useful