Plumbing expert shares top tips to prevent pipes freezing as cold snap hits Ireland
Temperatures are set to dip below freezing this weekend and this could mean frozen pipes for households who haven't prepared
Households around the country are anticipating a drop in temperatures this weekend, with Met Éireann forecasting snow for parts of Ireland.
While many might be excited for some snow, freezing temperatures can be the cause of burst home plumbing, leaving your household without any running water and the possibility of a huge repair bill.
When water freezes it expands, placing pressure on the pipes and causing them to burst, leaving your household with a potential repair bill of anywhere from €500 - €2,000, depending on the severity of the damage.
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Thankfully, it doesn’t have to cost a penny. Plumping expert Sean Richardson of Complete Plumbing Solutions has put together his top tips for preventing pipes from freezing over this winter.
Keep water running
The tiniest trickle can sometimes be enough to stop a devastating freeze
The weather forecasts are pretty good at forecasting when there’ll be a particularly harsh drop in temperatures, like this coming weekend, so if you’re expecting a freeze turn your taps on and allow just a trickle to come through the pipes.
We’re not saying do this with all of the taps in the house, but just the ones that are supplied by exposed pipes. The constant movement of the water through the pipes will go along to prevent freezing and also relieves any potential pressure build up that could burst a pipe.
Insulate your pipes when possible
Pipe insulation is cheap, widely available and can potentially save you hundreds of euro.
A metre length of pipe insulation can be as cheap as €2 so it really is a no brainer, you could have all of your pipes insulated for less than €100. We would always advise that you focus on the most vulnerable sections of your plumbing – the exterior pipes and the pipes located in the unheated areas of your home like the attic.
If there’s cold weather on the way and you haven’t had the time to insulate your pipes properly, you can DIY it too. Around 50-60 years ago people used to wrap the pipes in old, bunched up newspapers and just secured it with some tape! It may sound funny but it definitely does the job in a pinch
Keep the heat on
Energy prices are still quite high so understandably, this may not seem like the most appealing option, however a small bump in your heating costs will still cost far less than the repair of a burst pipe.
When the temperatures dip, we tend to blast the heat during the day and turn things down at night – this isn’t helping your internal plumbing. Try and keep your heating at a more consistent temperature over the 24 hour period as this will keep the pipes from freezing, ideally you should always be around 12C at least.
Keep your cabinets and doors open
A simple but effective measure to keep warm air circulating around your pipes.
In most homes your plumbing in the kitchen or bathroom is tucked away behind a cabinet door of some sort. During a cold snap you should open up these doors to allow the warm air from inside the house to get around the pipes, keeping them free from blockages.
Plug the gaps
There are dozens of unhelpful cracks and openings throughout every home, time to sort them out.
Around this time of year in particular you should be checking around your doors and windows for any holes and large gaps that are letting all of the warm air in your home escape and letting cold air in.
Window sills in particular are a common leakage point, if you have any cabling running externally to internally examine where it enters the home for gaps. By sealing these gaps you’re helping your overall home insulation which in turn benefits the plumbing.
My pipes are already frozen but haven’t burst – what can I do?
The good news is that you have a few options to avoid catastrophe.
First things first, shut off the water at the mains – This is usually located either under the sink or somewhere near your water meter. If you allow the water to continue to flow you could be making the situation worse and allowing the pressure to build, which would cause a break.
How do I know the pipes are actually frozen?
If the water is very slowly coming from a tap or stops completely, you’ve got a freeze. If the problem only exists with one tap it’s a local issue rather than a system wide problem.
How to thaw a pipe
Hair dryer - You can use a hair dryer to thaw the pipe slowly, applying heat up and down the affected length of pipe.
Warm towels – Wrap a warm towel around the frozen pipe, this should free up the blockage and not shock the pipe too much. Put down a bucket or some other towels on the ground to catch the excesses. A Hot Water bottle would also work in this situation.
My pipes have burst – what now?
It goes without saying, but time is of the essence. Repairs should always be left to a professional but there are some steps you can take to minimise the damage.
Turn off the Water Mains as soon as possible. The last thing you want to do is pull more water through the pipe so remove the supply and try to minimise the damage.
Next step is to call a plumber and see how soon they can get out to see you. From here, try and get rid as much of the water as you possibly can so as to prevent the growth of mould and mildew.
Is there anything residents can do to fix a burst pipe in the interim before a plumber arrives?
Yes, if you’ve got the right tools laying around. You’ll need a clamp, a block of wood and some rubber.
You can place the rubber over the breakage in the pipe, cover it with a wood block and then use a clamp to keep everything together –we must stress, this is a very temporary fix and won’t last long.
Similarly you can purchase some pipe repair sleeves, these can just be slipped over the affected area and keeps the water in the pipe. Again, these won’t last long so don’t put off calling the professionals.
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