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What to Do If Your Water Pipes Freeze
Winter is here again, and although it can be a little chilly in some locations, it can be a bit colder in others. Temperatures can get frosty enough to freeze water in pipelines, which can be frustrating and lead to extra repairs. To avoid any mishaps, here are a few things you can do if your water pipes freeze.
Call the plumber
It is quite tricky to detect which parts of the pipelines are frozen, and without the right expertise, you may cause more damage. With the help of your plumber, you can use a thawing machine to melt out the frozen water stuck in the pipe. Be sure to close the main water supply but keep your tap open during the thawing process for the melted ice to seep through.
Apply heat to the frozen area
You can identify a frozen pipe when it’s coated with frost or looks slightly bulged. When you notice this, you can wrap heating cables around the pipes and keep it plugged in. You can also place towels soaked in hot water onto the pipes to melt the frozen water stuck in them safely. You can even blow hot air on them using a hairdryer, although this may only be effective depending on where the frozen pipe is.
Turn up your home thermostat
This method works well for pipes behind walls or in places that are hard to reach. By increasing the heat in your home, you increase the chances of melting an ice blockade. Do not begin the thawing process without shutting off the main water supply point, to prevent water from gushing out when thawing begins.
The winter season indeed comes with a lot of challenges for household pipelines. However, with these handy tips, you can prevent other damages from occurring.
What to Do If Your Water Pipes Freeze
Winter is here again, and although it can be a little chilly in some locations, it can be a bit colder in others. Temperatures can get frosty enough to freeze water in pipelines, which can be frustrating and lead to extra repairs. To avoid any mishaps, here are a few things you can do if your water pipes freeze.
Call the plumber
It is quite tricky to detect which parts of the pipelines are frozen, and without the right expertise, you may cause more damage. With the help of your plumber, you can use a thawing machine to melt out the frozen water stuck in the pipe. Be sure to close the main water supply but keep your tap open during the thawing process for the melted ice to seep through.
Apply heat to the frozen area
You can identify a frozen pipe when it’s coated with frost or looks slightly bulged. When you notice this, you can wrap heating cables around the pipes and keep it plugged in. You can also place towels soaked in hot water onto the pipes to melt the frozen water stuck in them safely. You can even blow hot air on them using a hairdryer, although this may only be effective depending on where the frozen pipe is.
Turn up your home thermostat
This method works well for pipes behind walls or in places that are hard to reach. By increasing the heat in your home, you increase the chances of melting an ice blockade. Do not begin the thawing process without shutting off the main water supply point, to prevent water from gushing out when thawing begins.
The winter season indeed comes with a lot of challenges for household pipelines. However, with these handy tips, you can prevent other damages from occurring.
How to save money on your gas bill
If you’re trying to save money, you should be looking at your household expenses to see where you could make savings. The gas bill is a good place to start in most homes, so here are some smart changes you can make to save yourself some money.
- 1. Insulate your door furniture. Cover your letterbox and any key holes. A surprising amount of heat can be lost through these small gaps!
- 2. Check your loft insulation. A lot of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home. Around 270mm of insulation in the loft is best. If you add more insulation, make sure it isn’t compressed. Fit raised platforms, above the height of your insulation, for storage.
- 3. Check your wall insulation. A lot of heat in uninsulated homes is lost through the walls. If your home has cavity walls, have them filled. A solid wall can also be insulated, either internally or externally, but this is a more complex and expensive process.
- 4. Fit double or triple glazing. If your windows are in need of repair or replacement, think about fitting either double or triple glazing. Both options will cut heat loss through the glass.
- 5. Fit secondary glazing. If you add a second pane of glass into an existing window, this can be just as effective as a sealed replacement unit, but for a much lower cost.
Signs You May Need to Replace Your Boiler
Boilers will not last forever, and all need replacing eventually. If your boiler is becoming less efficient, then that might be a sign you need to replace your boiler. If you notice that your bills keep creeping up, this could be a sign and it is time to start looking for a replacement. Older boilers are less efficient and, therefore, more costly to run. It’s worth weighing up what you spend on your yearly bills against the cost of a new boiler.
Older boilers may also need to be repaired a lot. Running repairs can become costly, especially if older parts are becoming harder to find. If your boiler is frequently breaking down, ask a specialist to test your boiler, diagnose any problems, and to advise if the cost of ongoing repairs may outweigh the cost of a new boiler. If you are ever unsure of your boiler’s safety or efficiency, it is always important to speak to a specialist and not attempt any repairs yourself.
If your boiler is just not working like it used to, then it might take longer for your house to warm up, or you might frequently have to adjust your boiler’s pressure. These may seem like minor niggles, but it is worth getting this checked out before the boiler breaks down entirely, leaving you in a cold house before a new one can be installed. Specialists can diagnose your boiler’s performance and recommend new installations to match your home and lifestyle needs.
There’s never a good time for your hot water to fail; it’s always inconvenient to some extent. Most people only have a vague idea of what to do, causing more frustration. Check out the top tips below to get your hot water back fast when it fails – if in doubt, don’t hesitate to call a professional engineer.
Check the Fuse Box
If there is no electricity reaching your boiler, it won’t heat or distribute water throughout your home. The most common reason is a blown fuse that you can check in the fuse box. It’s a fast fix to get your water back.
Check the Pilot Light
The blue flame in your boiler that ignites when the hot water is called the Pilot Light; if it goes out, it can cause a loss of hot water, but luckily, it’s easy to fix. Check your boiler’s manual for instructions.
Check the Boiler Pressure
A lack of boiler pressure can also cause a loss of hot water. The boiler pressure can be viewed on the built-in pressure gauge and should read between 1 and 2 bars; if it is less, try re-pressurising your boiler.
Look at The Hot Water Tank
If you have a Regular or Systems Boiler, it’s a good idea to check the hot water tank. These systems also have thermostats on the hot water tank that may need reset. Double-check the temperatures and timings on these thermostats.
Reset the Boiler
Resetting the boiler can be an effective fix if you suddenly have no hot water, but this is only possible if the reset button is accessible from the front of the boiler. If it is inside the unit, you will require a professional gas engineer.
Airlock in the Pipes
An airlock happens when a bubble of air gets trapped in the pipes and prevents the optimal flow of water – you find that your hot water runs slow. In this case, it’s best to contact a professional engineer.
Are your radiators failing to pump-out some heat over those chilly winter months? Your central heating system might need powerflushing or cleansing. Powerflushing/ cleansing clears out your central heating by pumping water through the system under high pressure. Here are just a few of the benefits of using powerflushing.
Save money. The better your central heating works, the less money you’ll waste on a poorly working system. You’ll also save money on more comprehensive repairs if the sludge damages the rest of the system.
Prolong the life of your central heating. Powerflushing/ cleansing is particularly useful for older central heating systems, as clearing out the debris may avoid the need for a complete repair. Keep older systems running as good as new throughout the winter months.
Keep your boiler running. Sludge and rust can damage your boiler over time, causing it to overheat or even shut off completely. Boiler repairs are far more expensive than a simple powerflushing or cleansing treatment.
Stay warm. A clogged central heating system will fail to give out adequate heat, especially if the whole, or part of, the radiator stops working correctly. Radiators can also take longer to warm up if clogged, and the actual hot water temperature may be reduced due to the debris in the system.
Quick, simple, and cost-effective. Powerflushing/ cleansing works with one simple machine and is quick to implement, leaving you with a sludge-free system that works properly. It is also far more cost-effective than central-heating repairs later down the line if the system is permanently damaged.
Only use a GAS SAFE REGISTERED ENGINEER to FIT, FIX and SERVICE your gas appliances. Click here for more info.
