With temperatures recently plummeting below freezing, Welsh Water is urging customers to act now and prepare their premises for winter to protect against frozen and burst pipes.
When the temperatures drop, water in pipes and taps can freeze. As the water freezes it expands and can crack even in the strongest metal pipe which customers may only notice is a problem when the cracked pipe thaws and water starts leaking from it.
Businesses such as industrial units, caravan parks, schools, community centres and places of worship are particularly vulnerable to burst pipes during the winter. These kinds of buildings regularly have pipes and taps outdoors, and are often empty for days, meaning a burst pipe, inside or outside the building can easily go unnoticed and cause flooding or leak huge amounts of water.
With the rising cost of living this year, many businesses may be using their heating less which may increase the risk of frozen pipes. Welsh Water shows customers how to protect exposed pipes by wrapping them with insulation or a lagging kit.
Welsh Water has some useful online hints and tips and videos on how customers can protect themselves from the risk of frozen or burst pipes. To find out more visit business.dwrcymru.com/GetWinterReady
Julian Prosser, Energy Officer at Torfaen County Borough Council said:
“A pipe at one of our sites wasn’t quite fully lagged over the winter months. When the cold snap hit, the pipe cracked and that then caused a burst on the water pipe. This meant that we had to go to site over the Christmas break, isolate the supply, fix the pipe and had the cost of repairing the pipe plus a larger than usual water bill. Not a great Christmas present!”
Welsh Water’s Operational Services Director, Kit Wilson said,
“The main problems I see in extreme freezing weather is frozen or burst outside pipes. This causes significant disruption to businesses’ water supplies. It’s crucial at this time of year and especially now as temperatures are due to fall below zero that people protect their buildings, sites and offices, and are prepared if an emergency occurs. Customers can insulate outside pipes, clear gutters, consider draining exposed external pipes, and in the case of emergency know where their stop tap is and have a plumber contact detail to hand.”
