Don’t have any unwanted scares this Halloween - prepare your pipes
21 October 2024 11:41
With Halloween just around the corner and winter approaching, now is the perfect time to make sure that your home is prepared for winter. To keep the water flowing in all homes, NI Water wants to remind customers to check their pipes are well insulated and stop valves are working.
Frozen pipes can burst and cause frightening flooding, so it is vital to take the time to make sure that any pipes are well protected from the cold weather too.
Stephanie McCullagh, NI Water’s Director of Customer Operations, said: ‘‘The last thing anyone wants this Halloween is for a scary burst pipe to appear. We are encouraging our customers to prepare for freezing temperatures by checking lagging is fitted and secured, knowing where your stop valve is and having the number of a plumber handy. All these actions will ensure that the water continues to flow freely through our pipes all winter long.
“Burst pipes can haunt any home and cause structural damage to a property, but the lasting damage in a home can be to personal items; furniture, electrical items and irreplaceable memories such as photographs. Insulating your pipework is an essential action to protect your water supply and that of your neighbours.”
There are lots of simple things that homes and businesses can do to prepare for the colder months, and there’s no time like the present to get started:
- Wrap up pipes and water tanks with lagging – high street DIY stores have everything you need to do this.
- Fix dripping taps – even a small trickle can result in a frozen pipe.
- Find your property’s stop tap and make sure you can turn it off – most are under the kitchen sink.
- Control your heating if you go away for a winter break.
- Check your central heating boiler has been serviced – it should be serviced annually.
- Keep the name of a plumber handy – type in your postcode at www.watersafe.org.uk to find your nearest accredited plumbing business.
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All media enquiries to NI Water Press Office email press.office@niwater.com