Burst and Frozen Pipes.

Some of the most common claims we receive involve incidents caused by escape of water in the home. Escape of water can cause considerable damage to your home and cost £1,000's to repair. Follow our do's and don'ts below to help keep your home safe.

• DO check insulation and lagging on your water pipes and tanks. Take extra care with any pipes outside or in your loft.
• DO find out where your stop tap is so you can switch the water off if a pipe bursts.
• If despite your precautions, your pipes do freeze:
  • DO turn off the water at the main stopcock;
  • DO switch off the central heating and immersion heater; and
  • DO open the tap nearest to the part of the pipe you think is frozen so water can flow through once melted.
• DO NOT switch off your central heating if you go away during the winter. Try and maintain a minimum temperature of 12°C and ensure that you leave your loft hatch open so warm air can get to your pipes. If you want to leave your heating off you will need to drain your whole central heating system and switch off the water supply at the mains.

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