Pipe insulation against freezing

(With apologies to Flanders and Swann) January brings the snow, makes your pipes and drainage a potential problem - because of the risk of freezing temperatures.

With the climate change crisis, too, the previously predictable and steady movement through the temperatures across the year has now become erratic with highs and lows veering from double figures in the mild sector to the finger-numbing freeze at the other end of the scale.

As science lessons at school taught us, as water cools and then freezes, its mass increases. This is why it is so problematic for any water conveyance in a home that is not properly lagged because, as the density of the ice increases, it is forced to expand beyond the constraint of the copper pipes, causing splits that won't necessarily be noticed until the later thaw.

Inevitably, as the ice melts, the water will be free to pour through the rifts created in the piping, flooding the vicinity and causing wider damage. And this can be even more of a problem in the situation where the plumbing is hidden within walls, under floors or behind other decorative methods of hiding the pipework, so may not be immediately noticed.

Even though one in four property insurance claims come from storm damage, according to an article by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), its members paid out over £800millions to fix all the issues relating to the problems created by freezing pipes. 

The ABI gives advice on what to do in preparation for any cold snap, as well as providing guidance on action to take in the event of both pipes freezing and the effects of flooding if they have burst.

They advise that, prior to the change in the weather, you should:

• Look at insulating and lagging the pipes and any water tanks that might be in the loft, as well as simple ways of insulating the rest of the house so that the temperature doesn't drop to the levels where the internal piping might freeze.
• Look at upgrading your thermostat to one that has an ‘anti-freezing' setting so that a minimum temperature is always held for the home.
• Establish where the stopcock is - more often than not, this will be somewhere under the sink in the kitchen, or occasionally in the basement or cellar in older properties that have them. The ABI also recommend that you test it to ensure that it can be turned off and that the incoming water is stopped as a result. 
• Modern plumbing also allows individual plumbing to be isolated - e.g., a basin or lavatory - so it's wise to check where the isolation points are and that you can turn the water flow off easily (usually with a screwdriver).
• If you are going away over the winter period, and if you don't want to leave the heating on, it might be wise to turn the stopcock off as a safety measure - always remembering to turn it back on as one of the first tasks on your return, of course! The ABI also recommend that you check the terms of your house insurance policy to check what, if any, restrictions exist on claiming in the event that the house is left empty.
• If there are any dripping taps, get these fixed either by yourself or by a plumber as the flowing water to the drip is more likely to freeze.

If you are unfortunate enough to have pipes freezing, then the ABI's advice is to turn off the water at the stopcock so that any splits in the pipes that might have formed won't result in flooding once the ice is thawed. You should not be tempted to hammer or knock the ice from the pipes and joints as this likely will create further problems and damage.

Naturally, you should also turn the water off at the stopcock if you are experienced flooding water from the system.

You should also move furniture, belongings, carpets (if you are able to do so) away from the area to limit the potential destruction in the event of a flood.

Once you have isolated the problem, you should contact a plumber to get the problem assessed and fixed.

And, finally, the ABI highly recommends contacting your insurer to get their advice and confirm the details of your home insurance policy with respect to the issues arising from frozen and burst pipes and the flooding that might occur.

When you're buying a new home, there are several things that jostle for your attention - and money.

The legal aspects of the process need a good conveyancing solicitor, you'll need to appoint a quality removals firm, get your mortgage and other finances lined up, sort out the utilities in your current home and then for the new one, as well as looking into the aforementioned home insurance on the new property… The list is almost endless!

But one of the best activities you can do when looking at your prospective property is to appoint a focused and quality Chartered Surveyor, who can look into any observable issues with the home's insulation, lagging, pipework and assess the risk of freezing and flooding. 

They will make recommendations to resolve these potential issues in their report, highlighting them in a ‘traffic light' colour-coded list, where ‘red' means action must be taken, through ‘amber' to indicate that remedial action is not urgent but needs to be addressed, and to ‘green' showing that the area is fine as it is.

Getting this information will also help you to understand the future maintenance costs as well as looking at your needs for cover in your new property's home insurance.

And that's where it is really worth contacting Surveyor Local! 

Surveyor Local only works with members of RICS to offer home buyers a comprehensive range of surveys that are affordable and will provide the information required on a property. 

Your appointed surveyor will be local to the property you are buying so they will know the area and bring that knowledge to their assessment and their analysis of the issues with the new home.

Not only will the surveyor work hard to find all the problems affecting the property, they will also be keen to adopt new and proven technology in order to give the best survey possible.

Surveyor Local will provide a quote that will not change - what you are quoted is what you pay. 

Next-day bookings are usually available, and your appointed surveyor will look after arranging access to the property with the estate agent and the seller. Once the survey is complete, they will send you a PDF copy of the report by email.

Call  to get your survey quote started, or to discuss your concerns with the acquisition of your planned property.

Or you can get a quick quote, using Surveyor Local's easy-to-use quote generator. 

We'll do the rest once you confirm your acceptance of the quote.