frozen pipes

Figures from the Association of British Insurers show that during last December alone, there were 103,000 claims for damage caused by frozen pipes, generating a total bill of £680 million for the insurance industry.

Over and above the cost, there was then the stress and disruption borne by customers at a time when many were on holiday or trying to play host to family and friends.

You can eliminate frozen pipes claims if you make some basic checks and take some preventive measures.

Should the UK get hit by the same barrage of ice and snow as it did last year, then frozen pipes and escape of water will again be the main problem to look out for.

Here are some simple things that can help prevent frozen pipes:

If you are away from home, leave the heating on a low setting to prevent water from freezing in the pipes
Check that lagging is in place for exposed pipes and put in place where possible
Put insulating jackets around water tanks and cisterns
Open the hatch to the loft to allow warm air to circulate
Repair leaking taps
Insulate outside taps or turn off their water supply and drain them

It is also worth making sure you know where the stopcock is to turn off the water to your property and that if you find frozen pipes you do this immediately – even if it is still frozen. In many properties there is one underneath the kitchen sink while there will also be one outside the property.

Where you find frozen pipes, opening up other taps will help the water drain away into sinks and drains when it does thaw.

We would remind you to inform your neighbours if you are going away and provide them with emergency contact details, so that in the event of a problem arising, your neighbours will know what to do and who to contact.

However if you are going to be away for any period of time you should ask your friends or family to actively check in on your property periodically and if you are going to be away for more than 60 days, you must let your insurer know or you could end up invalidating your cover.

Be aware of combi-boiler risk

One issue that often occurs which is not so obvious is the condensate pipe that comes out of combi-boilers.

The diameter of these is often too small and in many instances they are not lagged, causing them to freeze and the boiler to stop working. Not only will this result in a cold house for you, but it can also lead to other frozen pipes.

For reference, external condensate pipes should be a minimum diameter of 32mm and where they are less, lagging should certainly be in place.

Make sure you have adequate insurance in place so that should you suffer from frozen pipes you will be covered. If you would like any further information or would like us to provide a quotation please contact us on 01489 579808 or complete our online quotation form.