A Cork plumber’s cold snap tips could save you a LOT of cash on winter disasters
It’s about to get pretty chilly out there.
Met Éireann is forecasting some bitterly cold weather in the coming days, with an arctic airmass across the country.
While you’re checking your heating oil situation, one local expert is advising householders to consider the plumbing too; cold weather can cause sections of your home plumbing to burst, leaving you without running water and a hefty repair bill – something we could all do without at the start of the year.
Plumbing expert Sean Richardson of Complete Plumbing Solutions has compiled his top tips on how to prevent your pipes from freezing this winter.
A frozen pipe can lead to a serious headache, leaving you without water and facing a repair bill of anywhere from €500 to €2000. So, before the cold snap hits, here’s how you can protect your plumbing from disaster.
1. Keep Water Running
“The tiniest trickle can sometimes be enough to stop a devastating freeze,” explains Sean. “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 a long way to prevent freezing and also relieves any potential pressure build-up that could burst a pipe.”
2. Insulate Your Pipes
“Pipe insulation is cheap, widely available, and can potentially save you hundreds of euro,” says Sean. “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.
“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.”
3. 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,” Sean advises. “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 12 degrees Celsius at least.”
4. Keep Your Cabinets & 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,” Sean notes. “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.”
5. Plug the Gaps
“There are dozens of unhelpful cracks and openings throughout every home – time to sort them out,” says Sean. Around this time of year, particularly, 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.”
By following these tips, you can help protect your pipes this winter and avoid the nightmare of burst pipes and expensive repairs.
