Prepare your drains for the winter

During the winter months, your drains are under a higher risk of suffering burst pipes. As the temperature drops, water can turn to ice and this is a big problem for your water supply. If your pipes burst, it can be an expensive job to repair. Not only will you need to replace the broken pipework, but your property may suffer water damage. To prevent this, you should take some precautionary measures and protect your property this winter.

Remove blockages

Not only can blockages potentially result in burst pipes, but they also cause standing water to occur around the areas of the pipes where it struggles to get past. This standing water can turn to ice, which causes more blockages. Worse still, when ice expands it can put pressure on the walls of the pipe and cause it to burst. The tell-tale signs of blocked drains include a foul smell, a gurgling sound and water taking a long time to drain.

Make every effort possible to prevent debris from getting into your drains and creating a blockage. Measures to be taken include sweeping your yard for leaves, covering any open gullies with a grate and also watch the grate to make sure that debris does not build up. Avoid putting fat and grease down the drain as this collects and congeals inside the drain and therefore cause more blockages.

Fix leaks

If you discover a leaking pipe, you should get it fixed as soon as you can. Not only can a dripping pipe waste water and create water damage in your property, it is also more likely to freeze and form ice. Ice formed around pipe leaks can cause long term damage as the ice in the small spaces can expand and cause the joints to break.

Leave heating on

Obviously, keeping your water pipes warm is an effective way to prevent them from becoming frozen. Therefore, you should leave your heating on a low level, even if you are not in the house. Not only will the water in the heating pipes be too hot to form ice, but the warm air in the rooms will prevent the drain pipes from freezing.

You should also ensure that your home is well insulated and there is no draft. Any heat that escapes from the property increases the heating bills and will require more energy to keep the water pipes warm.

Keep it flowing

When water is moving, it is more difficult for it to freeze. As well as keeping your drains blockage-free, you should make sure that none of the pipes in your home are left unused for too long.

If you need advice about your water pipes, call RPD today. We are the experts in drains maintenance and blocked drains in Wirral and are available 7 days a week.