How Can You Prevent Burst Pipes?
To prepare for winter, you will need to take preventive measures to protect your pipes from becoming damaged.
First, take note of all the rooms in your home and check to see if they have pipes running through them. If you wrap these pipes with any type of padding material, you can prevent them from bursting. This padding can be specially designed for pipes, but if the weather has caught you by surprise even newspapers can do the trick. The point is that you keep the pipes warmer than freezing levels.
If your pipes aren't used very often, you should allow the water to flow through them once in a while during the colder months. You could also run the hot water to unfreeze any existing frozen water. Of course, you could also use small space heaters in rooms where the pipes run. In areas where freezing isn't a great danger, simply leaving a dripping faucet on can prevent frozen pipes. This keeps the water flowing and prevents it from stagnating within the pipe.
What Do You Do If Your Pipes Have Frozen?
If you happen to turn on a tap and no water comes out, then chances are the pipes have frozen. Check other taps to see if this is the case. Locate the water meter and touch the pipes near the meter. If a section feels colder than others, then this is probably the location of the blockage. If other taps are working, then it could be a pipe in an exterior wall. Check the piping where it comes from the wall. Once you find the location, turn off the main water valve so water doesn't surge through the pipes when the obstruction is thawed. Wrap pipes in padding to allow them to thaw slowly. Don't try to use boiling water or flames to thaw pipes, as this will cause expansion and the bursting of the pipes. In some cases, just waiting for the weather to warm will do the trick.
What Should You Do If You Have a Burst Pipe?
If your pipes end up bursting, the first thing you will need to do is turn off the main water supply. The valve for this is often located outside your home. After you have turned off your water supply, call Plumber Blocked Drain Australia for immediate repairs. We offer 24/7 support and will send out a certified plumber to locate and repair the burst pipe.
Plumber Blocked Drain Australia Leaking / burst pipe Specialists - Any Time, Any Day Free Call
1800 187 168 or 0407 940 208
If you're faced with a local plumbing emergency, don't stress out. Just give us a call - we'll quickly send you a professional local plumber – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We're here for you – any time, any day.
Plumber Blocked Drain Australia your local leaking or burst pipe Plumbing Professionals for every plumbing and gasfitting service in Australia and all Surrounding Areas.
