Prevent Drain Pipe Freezing This Winter with Our Step-by-Step Guide

Winter is here and Christmas is only weeks away. With all the busyness, the gifts to buy, and the parties to go to, the last thing you want is any extra stress. Frozen pipes are a problem you really can’t afford to be facing this Christmas. All the pipes in your home have water in them at all times, even when the taps are turned off. This means that when the temperature drops significantly, the water in your pipes can freeze, leaving you without any running water. However, there are many ways you can prevent frozen pipes from happening and save your home from water damage and emergency drain repairs!

Not only do frozen pipes cause a significant reduction of running water in your home, but they can also cause pressure build-up in your pipes – about over 2,000 pounds per square inch! This pressure can cause burst pipes and flooding throughout your home – the last thing you want to deal with this Christmas!

Cold Areas of Your Home Suffer the Most

There are many rooms in your home that can suffer from pipe freezing. However, the coldest areas of your property are likely to suffer the most. The pipes in your home that are most likely to suffer in the cold weather are found in cold or unheated rooms such as the attic or the basement. These rooms don’t often get enough heat in them during the day and are therefore more likely to suffer from the harshness of winter temperatures.

One of the biggest risks to your property is frozen pipes, so it is best to start preparing your home for this cold Christmas season as soon as possible.

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter

There are many methods you can use to prevent frozen pipes this winter. By following just some of the points mentioned below, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of frozen pipes in your home. Preventing frozen pipes this winter will help keep your home from severe water damage and slow to no running water.

Help Relieve Any Pressure

Pressure inside the pipes, as has already been mentioned, is one of the main causes of burst or broken pipes. So, it is important to help relieve any pressure in your pipe system this winter to reduce this problem. One of the ways you can do this is by turning on all the taps in your home and letting them run for a little while to help release any built-up pressure in the pipes.

If you notice, when turning on the taps, that water doesn’t come out of several taps, it’s important to call a professional plumber right away. It may be that there is a more serious problem and the plumber will be able to investigate this to find out what it is.

Insulate Your Pipes

Insulation is something we all need during the Christmas season, and plenty of it! One of the best ways to insulate your pipes is fitting them with foam rubber or fibreglass sleeves. Insulating your pipes is ideal for colder rooms in your home or sections of pipe that are exposed to the harsh winter weather. Although pipe insulation does not add heat to the pipes, it can help maintain the water temperature inside, reducing the likelihood of the pipes freezing when exposed to colder temperatures.

Insulating your pipes is a very effective way to prevent frozen pipes this winter. However, if your pipes are hidden behind walls or underneath the floors and large sections of your home need to be opened up for access, this option can be an expensive one.

Extend Your Heating

Many people turn off the heating in their homes when they go out. However, this can be one of the biggest causes of frozen pipes – especially as temperatures start plummeting. Having a warm house throughout the winter can help prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting. However, keeping the heat on all day doesn’t have to cost you a huge amount. All you have to do is keep it at a comfortable temperature so that it’s providing enough heat to prevent any frozen water form forming inside your pipes.

Drain Your Water System Completely

As winter is approaching, it’s important to be prepared. One way you can prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting is draining the water from your system completely. Draining all the water form your pipes is a great way to prevent freezing, especially if you’re going to be away from home for any extended period of time. Draining your water system means there won’t be anything left in the pipes to freeze over the winter period, so you can come home to the house as you left it.

Keep Interior Doors Open

Heat travels around your home throughout the day and one of the best ways to get heat to colder rooms is to open the interior doors. Allowing heat to travel around your home helps to keep the pipes warm and maintain a comfortable indoor temperature that helps prevent freezing from occurring.

Apply Heating Tape to Exposed Pipes

A fantastic quick-fix option, heating tape work like an electric blanket and helps keep exposed pipes warm. There are two types of heating tape you can use; one turns on and off on its own, as the temperature changes. And the other needs to be plugged in and unplugged when not in use. These tapes work in a similar way to space heaters and can be dangerous if not used safely, so it’s important to follow all the safety procedures carefully.

Call Our Experts Today

If your pipes have already frozen or they are damaged from the cold weather we’ve already been experiencing, you may need to have drain repairs carried out at your home. Our team of fully-qualified and experienced professionals will be able to help. They will provide any necessary drain repairs and help get your pipes working properly again so that you have one less thing to worry about this Christmas season!