PR1810

14th December 2007

Wrap up your water pipes for winter

Don’t leave your water pipes out in the cold

Most of us are feeling the first chills of winter and are preparing to wrap up warmly for the months ahead, but don’t forget that your water pipes need to stay cosy as well.

That’s the message from Three Valleys Water, which is reminding its customers to prepare their water pipes to prevent them from bursting in freezing temperatures.

“We receive calls from customers reporting burst and frozen pipes every winter, but it’s so easy to prevent this from happening,” says Andy Smith, Managing Director of Three Valleys Water. “Burst pipes can cause a huge amount of damage to property and the water lost can run to thousands of litres. Now is the right time to make sure your water pipes are protected against the cold.”

Take these easy steps to help prevent burst water pipes:

• Firstly, locate internal stop taps and make sure the water can be turned off in an emergency. Do this now and contact a plumber if the taps are stuck.
• Next, insulate any exposed water pipes with approved lagging materials such as felt or pipe wrap and cover this with a waterproof material to keep it dry.
• Make sure your cold water tank is insulated as well. You will usually find this in the loft. Cover the sides and top of the tank, but leave a clear space below the tank to allow warmer air to circulate.
• Keep your house or office warm wherever possible.
• If you are going away for a short time, you may want to leave your central heating on a very low setting to prevent pipes from freezing.
• If you are planning on leaving your home or office unattended for long periods, turn off the water supply and drain the heating system, outside taps and exposed pipes.

If a pipe does freeze:

• Switch off the central heating boiler.
• Turn off the stop tap to cut off the water supply.
• Use a gentle heat source, such as a hair dryer, an electric fan heater or hot water bottle to defrost the frozen pipe, but remember never to use electrical appliances where there is a risk of water escaping. Start thawing the pipe near where the pipe enters the house.
• Leave one tap open to allow thawed water to escape (remember to take the sink or bath plug out).
• When you think the pipe has thawed out, slowly turn on the stop tap and check for leaks.

If a pipe bursts:

• Turn off the water at the stop tap.
• If a hot water pipe is affected, turn off the heater or boiler.
• Turn off the electricity immediately if the burst is anywhere near a power point.
• Drain the system, storing water in baths and buckets to use for toilet flushing, but not drinking or cooking.
• Contact an Approved Plumber. The Water Industry Approved Plumber Scheme (WIAPS) can provide a list of plumbers www.wras.co.uk/wiaps. Or go to our web site for a list in our area. www.3valleys.co.uk – Emergencies.

If you have a problem in your home and need Three Valleys Water to work on the outside stoptap serving your property, you may be charged a contribution towards the cost of the call-out and any further work which becomes necessary – so please make sure your internal stoptap works.

Ends

For further information please contact Public Relations, tel: 01707 277110, fax: 01707 277213, website: www.3valleys.co.uk

Note to Editors:

Taste it don’t waste it – water tips
• Fixing a dripping tap can save 14-30 litres of water a day.
• Rinse your mouth using a glass of water when brushing your teeth - a running tap can waste 10-14 litres per minute.
• Make best use of your dishwasher and washing machine by running it on a full load whenever possible.
See the Three Valleys Water website for more tips www.3valleys.co.uk

About us
Three Valleys Water has been supplying water to the local community for more than 130 years and is committed to delivering a high quality water service to all its customers . It now provides over 870 million litres of water each day to three million customers, in parts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, the London Boroughs of Harrow and Hillingdon and parts of the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, and Enfield. The supply area covers a total of 3,700 square kilometres, stretching from Luton and Royston in the north to Guildford in the south, and from Berkhamsted in the west to Dunmow in the east.

Three Valleys Water is the UK’s largest water supply only company and is part of Veolia Water, the world leader in water and wastewater management. If you spot a leak call the Leakspotters hotline on 0800 376 5325 or use our online leakage form.