This past week has demonstrated only too well how quickly the UK’s winter weather can change.
At the start of the week, we were grabbing hats, coats and scarves and braving below freezing temperatures; today, forecasters are predicting close to double figures for Retford.
When the sun is shining and the nights are getting lighter, it’s easy to forget that we are in the middle of winter, and we are sure to find ourselves having to wrap up warm over the course of the next few months.
So what about our homes? For those of us who have been unlucky enough to have pipes bursting in our property, it’s not an experience we want to revisit. However, there are a number of ways that you can protect your water pipes from freezing or bursting this winter.
- Use pipe lagging to cover tanks and exterior and interior plumbing. Simple and affordable, pipe lagging is one of the most efficient and effective ways to protect your pipes from freezing or bursting. It is particularly effective for interior pipes that are located in exposed, unheated areas, which, if not insulated, have a greater chance of freezing
- Wrap heat tape around any exposed water pipes
- If you’re planning on going away, ensure that you put your heating on a timer for a couple of hours every day at approximately 15°c
- Check your water pressure on a regular basis throughout winter, as the first warning sign of a frozen pipe is restricted water flow
- If an emergency does occur, make sure that you are prepared – check that you can turn off your property’s stop cock if a pipe does burst (which is normally located under the kitchen sink)
What if a pipe does burst?
The first thing you have to do is turn the stop cock off to prevent water from flooding your Retford home.
The second thing we recommend is to call Retford plumbers, Moore Gas Ltd! Based in Sturton-le-Steeple, Moore Gas Ltd is a family-run plumbing company, which offers a 24 hour Gas Safe-registered emergency call-out service to Retford and the Bassetlaw district.
With a reputation founded on customer recommendations, you can be sure of an honest, reliable affordable service from Moore Gas Ltd.