Every winter, hundreds of London homeowners face the nightmare of burst pipes. Freezing temperatures can cause water inside your pipes to expand, leading to cracks and catastrophic flooding once the ice thaws.
1. Insulate Exposed Pipes
The most effective way to prevent freezing is to insulate any pipes located in unheated areas such as lofts, garages, or basements. Use foam pipe lagging, which is inexpensive and easy to install.
2. Keep Your Heating on Low
If you are going away during the winter, don't turn your heating off completely. Keep it set to at least 10°C to ensure the ambient temperature in your home stays above freezing.
3. Find Your Stopcock
In an emergency, you need to turn off your water supply immediately. Make sure you know where your internal stopcock is located and test it regularly to ensure it hasn't seized up.
Expert Tip
Leave loft hatches slightly open during extremely cold spells. This allows warm air from the rest of the house to circulate into the loft and keep the pipes and water tank from freezing.
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