Protecting against frozen pipes

ABI’s advice to help you to get ready for winter and prevent the misery that can be caused by burst pipes

Make sure that you are fully prepared for any freezing weather which could strike this winter. At the height of the abnormally cold spell last winter insurers dealt with 3,500 claims for burst pipe damage every day.

The typical cost of household damage caused by burst pipes last winter averaged up to £7,000, but costs can be much more. One homeowner (case study attached) suffered damage of £65,000 following a burst loft pipe while he was away. His insurer paid the cost of repairing the extensive damage and replacing ruined possessions, as well as the cost of five weeks living in a hotel while his home was being repaired.

ABI advises homeowners planning to get ready for winter by:

• Finding your main stopcock and make sure you can turn it on and off.

• Checking your lagging. All pipes and tanks in loft spaces, and anywhere else which could be liable to freezing, should be fully lagged.

If you planning to leave your property empty (even just overnight) during winter:

• Leave your heating on for at least an hour a day while you are away from home. In severe weather, or if severe weather is forecast, you should always leave your heating on day and night at your usual temperature setting – whether you are at home or not.

• If it is very cold consider opening your loft trap door. This allows warm air from other parts of the house to circulate in the loft and will help prevent pipes freezing.

• Ask a friend or relative to visit your home every day while you are away. This will mean that, if you do suffer a burst pipe, it will be detected as soon as possible, and the damage caused will be minimised.

If your pipes do freeze:

• Turn your water off at the main stopcock and thaw them with a hairdryer or hot water bottle.

• If a pipe has burst, turn off the water at the main stopcock, switch off your central heating and any other water heating installations, open all the taps to drain the system, and make sure professional repairs are carried out before you turn anything back on.

• Keep contact details for your insurance company helpline near your phone. Insurers’ helplines are open 24 hours a day.

Assessing the damage

If your home is badly damaged by the water from a burst pipe, your insurer is likely to commission a loss adjuster to contact you to assess the damage in detail, and in extreme cases arrange alternative accommodation (buildings and contents policies provide for this) and plan the restoration process. In normal conditions, your loss adjuster will get in contact within 24 hours of you contacting your insurer. However, after a major drop in temperatures, this may take longer due to the volume of claims. Nevertheless, you should hear from the loss adjuster within two days of contacting your insurer.

Once the loss adjuster has completed their initial assessment, they should be able to provide you with an approximate timetable outlining what needs to be done to restore your home, who will do it and how long it will take.

Get Ready for Winter

For more advice and tips to get ready for winter go to 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/Features/DG_WP199639 

www.scottishwater.co.uk/winter 

http://www.niwater.com/winterfreeze.asp