As temperatures fall below zero, Uisce Éireann is reminding people to protect their water pipes from the freezing weather.
Water expands by nearly 10% as it freezes and turns into ice, which stops the flow of water through pipes. This can even cause new pipes to split, according to the utility.
Uisce Éireann is urging people do their bit to help avoid expensive repairs and a disrupted water supply at home or in their business or farm by taking a few easy preventative measures.
These include checking outside pipes that can become frozen and burst during periods of cold weather and, if possible, turn off water supply to these areas or to any unoccupied premises.
Alternatively, people may consider setting the heating to come on periodically at a lower temperature. This allows warm air to circulate and will help to prevent pipes and tanks from freezing in the cold weather.
Uisce Éireann spokesperson, Margaret Attridge said: “With temperatures dipping below zero it is very important to continue the regular maintenance of your property, protect outside taps and farm troughs, and check empty premises.
“It also a good idea to familiarise yourself with your own internal water system and particularly how to turn off your supply at the stopcock so that you can protect your property in the event of a burst pipe.”
Margaret is also asking people to conserve water and not to leave taps running as this will not necessarily prevent pipes from freezing and can impact on your local water supply.
“We also recommend that people don’t run taps continually as this is not an effective way of preventing frozen pipes and can cause other problems such as frozen drains,” she said.
“It also puts further pressure on water supplies that are already challenged by the freezing conditions. Being mindful of water use at home, on farms and in businesses can make a big difference.”
The Uisce Éireann Customer Care Team is available to help 24/7 on 1800 278 278. Customers can also sign up to its free text alerts scheme which gives details of supply interruptions that last longer than four hours as well as details on planned and unplanned outages and boil water notices should they be needed to protect public health.
Damage from burst pipes
Meanwhile, Peopl Insurance is warning that homeowners could face bills running into the tens of thousands if a burst pipe causes damage to their home, even if they have home insurance.
This could arise if homeowners are underinsured – which is where your home is insured for less than the full cost of rebuilding it – or where the contents in your home are insured for less than it would cost to replace them.
Where a homeowner is underinsured, Peopl Insurance said that they are at risk of only getting a fraction of the pay-out they expect from their insurer if their house is damaged during the extended cold snap.
Spokesperson for Peopl Insurance, Paul Walsh said: “Burst pipes are one of the most common problems during icy weather. A burst pipe could cost tens of thousands euro worth of damage if water is left running for a few days.
“The bill for the damage could even be more if a pipe bursts while you’re away as you’ll likely have to replace plasterboard, walls, wardrobes, kitchen units and so on – and you’ll probably have to repair electrical damage too.
“You could have to foot a big chunk of such damage repair bills yourself if you have underinsured your home – because your insurer will usually reduce its pay-out by the amount you’ve underinsured yourself by.”
He explained that one of the main reasons people are underinsured today is that rising building costs have pushed up the cost of rebuilding or repairing their home.
“It is important for homeowners to know that the onus is on them to ensure their home is insured for the right amount,” Walsh added.
“People sometimes worry that their home insurance will be more expensive if they increase the buildings sum insured on their home – however, it might not affect your premium at all.”
Flat roofs
With significant snowfall expected in some counties in the coming days, Peopl Insurance is also urging homeowners whose properties have a flat roof to ensure that their home insurer is aware that they have such a roof and to check the conditions in their home insurance policy around flat roofs.
“Excess snow on trees can damage them and cause them to fall or uproot. Flat roofs can buckle under the weight of heavy snow,” Walsh continued.
“There can be major structural damage to your home if a tree falls on your roof in, or after, bad weather, or if a flat roof buckles as a result of a build-up of snow.
“Most home insurers will cover damage caused by snow or fallen trees – though you could get caught out by underinsurance or a lack of cover for flat roofs,” he said.
He explained that some home insurers don’t cover for storm, snow or flood damage if a flat roof is more than 10 years old and made of torched-on felt – or if the roof is made of any other felt and is more than five years old.
“Your insurer might also refuse to cover you if you don’t get your flat roof maintained by a qualified roofer or builder at least every five years,” he said.
When a weather warning is issued, it is always a good idea to check your flat roof for any wear and tear or damage – and address any issues before the bad weather hits.”
Top 10 tips to prevent burst pipes
With temperatures set to plummet this weekend and next week, Peopl Insurance is urging people to take a number of steps to prevent burst pipes:
- Make sure the water tank and pipes in your attic are properly lagged or insulated. Don’t forget any pipes in unheated or draughty places, such as basements or garages – or outdoor pipes. Should your home have a well, make sure you have insulated any outdoor well pipes;
- Insulate or wrap a towel around any outside taps to prevent them from freezing;
- Repair leaking or dripping taps or pipes;
- Find out where the stopcock is – and how to use it to turn off the water supply if your pipes burst;
- Drain the water system if you’ve a holiday home that will be unoccupied during the winter months;
- Don’t ignore signs of excessive mould in a shower or bathroom – particularly if you find mushrooms growing in it. In situations like this, there could be a burst pipe running undetected behind your shower tiles or wall – or inside the bathroom wall;
- Run the heating for short periods to keep the pipes from freezing and to keep the water circulating, if you can. The heating does not need to be set to normal room temperature – even a temperature of 10-12° will work equally well;
- Open your attic trap door to allow heat from the house to circulate through the attic;
- Pin the emergency help number for your insurer onto your notice board so that if you have an escape of water from frozen pipes, you can call-out the home emergency team straight away;
- If you do unfortunately encounter issues with burst pipes or tanks, turn the water off, contact your insurer before you pay for repairs and take pictures of the damage to support your claim. You should also let frozen pipes thaw out naturally – do not heat them prematurely as they are likely to crack.