Circumstances can differ from one property to another. Any information or advice is for guidance and is given in good faith but without warranty. Whilst we have made every effort to ensure its accuracy and completeness neither the author nor the Carse of Gowrie Sustainability Group nor its office bearers can accept any liability arising from errors or omissions.
Advice sheet 3. How can you reduce the risk of burst pipes?
A few simple measures can reduce the risk of burst pipes:
1. Turn the heating on to continuous, if necessary turning down the thermostat to a low setting during the night or while you are away from home.
2. Leave the loft trap door open during freezing conditions to let heat reach the pipe work in the loft.
3. Ensure that loft insulation runs over the top of water pipes wherever possible, rather than underneath them.
4. Ensure that no insulation is installed underneath water pipes or tanks.
5. Ensure that all water pipes and tanks are properly lagged, especially where the pipes are not covered by blanket insulation.
6. In freezing weather, regularly check that every tap works by turning it on for a moment. If the flow is less than normal, or intermittent, it may mean that the pipes are icing up (see “What if the taps stop working?” below). Water company advice is to fix dripping taps. This is debatable; it could be argued that a dripping tap helps to release pressure within the pipe when ice forms.
7. Ensure that everyone in the family knows where the mains stopcock is and how to turn the water off at the mains. The stopcock is usually under the kitchen sink, but in older houses it may be under a small drain cover outside the house (often marked with the letter “W”). In an apartment flat, there may only be one stopcock for all the apartments in the block.
8. If the property is to be left unoccupied for more than three days, leave the heating on at a low setting if possible. If the heating is to be turned off, then turn off the mains water stopcock, turn on all the taps to drain the system and leave the taps on. (It should not usually be necessary to drain the water in a central heating system if there is an open header tank or a frost thermostat which switches the heating on at low temperatures.)
9. Outside taps are obviously very vulnerable to freeze damage. Ensure that they can be turned off from inside the house. A good idea is to connect a flexible hose to the outside tap. Seal the end of the hose and turn the tap on to allow expansion. If the hose bursts due to ice expansion, at least the inside of the house will not suffer water damage.
If in doubt, ask Scottish Water for advice.
The pipes will not necessarily burst at the place the ice plug forms, the ice will spread the pressure throughout the system which will burst at the weakest point, usually a joint. The burst could therefore happen where pipes are properly lagged.
You need to check the whole system to discover where there are gaps in the lagging because that will probably be where the ice plug has formed.
What if the taps stop working?
If water stops running from any tap, it could mean that there is an ice plug in the system. Leave the tap partly open to allow for a release of water pressure between the ice plug and the tap. Check all the other taps and in each case if water does not run, leave the tap partly open. This may prevent the pipes from bursting. Do not attempt to warm the pipes using a naked flame in the roof space as this could cause a fire. However a fan heater or hairdryer can be used as long as they are not left unattended. If hot water stops running and you have a hot water cylinder, make sure the immersion heater is switched off then leave all the hot taps on.
Some websites and water companies advise turning the water off at the mains at this point but you should bear in mind that this may increase the risk of a burst because the water can no longer expand back into the mains system. Leave the taps open until water runs freely again. When the water starts to run again this will warn you that the ice has thawed and a check should be made to look for leaking pipes. If there are leaks, then by all means turn off the water at the mains.
(Remember that if the property is to be left unoccupied for more than three days with the heating off, turn off the water at the mains but leave all the taps open.)
What if the water turns brown?
This could be an indication that there is a burst in an underground pipe. Check with neighbours, if they have the same problem then the burst is likely to be in pipes owned by Scottish Water. Boil tap water before drinking it or use bottled water. Advise Scottish Water as soon as possible.
A more permanent solution.
There are a number of proprietary products available to deal with the problem of burst pipes, but there is a simple, cheap and effective solution which is widely used in the USA and Canada, namely to insert an expansion pipe into the system. This is usually a standard piece of pipe about 200mm in length running vertically from a “T” connection in the water pipes. This pipe is sealed at the top, trapping a bubble of air in the pipe. Water can then expand into the pipe, compressing the air, and relieving pressure on the system. Research in the USA shows this works, but there is no guarantee that this will work in every case and advice should be sought from a qualified plumber.
© 2012 David Crichton for original material unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. Extracts may be quoted for review or research purposes with due acknowledgement.
The rights of David Crichton to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.