Winter is Coming

Top Ten Tips to protect your pipes from freezing this winter

Winter is Coming and with this brings low temperatures and icy conditions, many of us will start preparing for Winter before it is here by checking our heating system and having the annual boiler service for those long winter months. There is one thing however that most of us do not check and that's the general condition of our pipework and whether they are protected from the cold winter - the winterisation of your pipes.   

1. 1. If you leave your home unattended, leave the heating on low
   2. Know where the stopcock is to isolate the supply in an emergency
   3. Lag pipes in the loft and check that the header and water tanks are insulated
   4. In severe cold weather open the loft hatch to warm the void 
   5. Plastic plumbing joints will probably degrade sooner than the metal ones, so keep an eye out for the slightest hint of water
   6. Insulate outside taps in your garden or garage, or turn off the water supply to them altogether during the winter  
   7. Tell your insurer if you are planning a longer holiday over the winter break
   8. Seal Gaps around holes where pipes run through walls or floors, especially where the hole is letting in cold air
   9. Keep the interior doors of your house open, this allows the heat to circulate through the house more efficiently
   10. Check that your stop cock works by turning it a couple a times. These can often seize if not used in long periods

For more information, visit the Polygon Leak Detection page here