The bad weather in winter can bring all sorts of problems for your home – from missing roof tiles from strong winds to a soggy and waterlogged garden in periods of heavy rain. Another common problem over the winter are frozen pipes.
When water freezes, it expands – and if there is water in a pipe when the temperatures drop below freezing, the water can then expand in the pipe. As well as causing a blockage, this also means that the pipe is at risk of cracking or breaking completely.
When there are pipes in areas that are not well insulated and exposed to cold temperatures they are at risk of freezing. Pipes outdoors or in places like garages and basements are the ones to be aware of. If there is no heating in the house, this also means that the pipes are at risk of freezing. This is why it is advisable to leave your heating on low even when you are away.
There are also warning signs to look out for where frozen pipes are concerned. If you have a reduced flow of water or no water coming out of the taps, and you can see that external pipes are cold, then you need to act very quickly – gently warming the pipe up is important, but take care not to do it too quickly, you should use a hairdryer to warm it. Using an open flame to do this is very dangerous – make sure that you warm it up slowly and gently.
If the pipe has actually burst, then you need to call an emergency plumber like this emergency plumber Cheltenham based company //www.hprservicesltd.com/emergency-plumber-cheltenham/ to help you with this.
A burst pipe can cause a lot of damage very quickly, so you need to act very quickly to minimise the risk of further damage to the pipes and also to your home. The damage from burst pipes can be very extensive – depending on where the pipe has burst, it can cause problems for your flooring, walls, ceilings, roof and also the electrical systems inside your home. A professional will also be able to check the rest of the system and make the necessary repairs.