Avoiding plumbing emergencies

Central heating and running water are vital at every time of the year, but they’re particularly important during the winter.

A home can become miserable and even uninhabitable if it is freezing cold and the water supply has failed, and the problem can just get worse and worse with frozen pipes thawing and leaking and drains becoming backed up with dirty water.

Of course, if you have home emergency cover with 247 Home Rescue, then you won’t have to worry about these issues. You can call us in the midst of a winter blizzard, and we will get someone to you without delay.

Cold Radiators

You might not notice a broken radiator for months, but once you turn your central heating on, a cold radiator will become incredibly obvious!

• Bleed the radiator. This removes any air that is trapped within the radiator and its connected pipes and allows the hot water within the radiator to circulate properly.
• If this doesn’t work, you may have to clean your radiator.

To avoid these problems, test your radiators when the weather is still relatively pleasant, so you can bleed or clean them before you need your central heating.

Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are among the most common winter home emergencies and can be the most disastrous. Not only can frozen pipes cause a domestic water supply to seize up, but water has the unique physical property of expanding when it freezes, which can cause pipes to burst apart.

When the water thaws, the pipe can leak, causing devastating property damage and potentially damaging your electricity supply and the structural integrity of your home.

Clearly, frozen pipes are the kind of issue you should avoid.

• Pipe insulation is the best way to prevent pipes from freezing.
• Other insulation and energy-efficiency measures, like draught-proofing and cavity wall insulation, can help protect your plumbing even more.

If your pipes have frozen, then be careful defrosting them – you could cause unnecessary damage to the pipes otherwise. Read our advice about defrosting frozen pipes for further information.

Blocked Drains

By far, the most common factor in blocked drains is substances other than water being poured down the drain. As the temperature drops below freezing, fat and grease can freeze and completely block the drain.

• Don’t pour grease and oil down your drains. Pour it in the bin instead.
• Use drain cleaner every few months to keep your drains clear of debris.
• Use drain covers to collect hair and foodstuffs that would otherwise fall down the drain.

For more information, read our page about preventing blocked drains. If it’s too late, don’t worry—we’ve also also looked into how to unblock drains.

Still need help?

Contact us on 0345 3192 247 and we can help! Our technical teams will run through some simple troubleshooting tips with you to see if your problem can be resolved over the phone. If not, we’ll send a highly skilled and qualified plumber to your location as soon as possible to resolve your plumbing issues.

There could be a number of reasons for your plumbing issues, so it’s better to trust the professionals. After all, you could end up making it worse, and you could be faced with a hefty bill to pay to repair the damage. We help, we repair, and we care.