When thinking of how to deal with burst pipes possibly the best way to prevent or prepare yourself is to look what will cause your water pipes to burst. The reason behind pipes bursting in winter is usually due to the water passing through them expanding as it freezes. No matter how strong the pipe or whatever material you use, if this process of freezing and defrosting occurs often enough then over the years your pipes are much more likely to burst as the expansion of the water will weaken the structure of your pipe work.

To counteract this and reduce the likelihood of bursts, the best course of action is to cover any pipe work that is exposed and which can therefore be subjected to freezing temperatures, with insulation or lagging. If you have pipe work that you are unable to cover and that is likely to be subjected to freezing temperatures, it is widely recommended that during winter months you leave a trickle of water flowing through taps. When water is allowed to flow it doesn’t have the opportunity to sit still and freeze which should mean your pipes will not freeze and then burst in cold weather conditions.

In the event that you are faced with water leaking from a pipe, the first thing you should do is switch off the mains water supply, not only to stop the leak, but to stop any further damage from spreading throughout the structure of your home. If you are still concerned that water will seep through the pipes, you may wish to remove all the remaining water from your system which can be achieved by draining the system by turning on the cold taps. If you are experiencing leaking pipes, it is also wise to turn off the all nearby electrics to prevent any further hazards and call a professional. To get the quickest response from up to 6 local plumbing experts, submit your enquiry through localtraders.com.

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