To prepare for freezing winter days when temperatures drop below freezing, anyone with a boiler needs to check their pipes for insulation or lagging.
Well-insulated pipes should be fine, but worn or missing insulate will need replacing. When frozen, water expands in unlagged pipes and puts pressure on them, causing them to buckle or break. When the water unfreezes, it could leak from damaged pipes into the home.
Four warning signs indicate pipes could be frozen:
1. The central heating makes ‘gurgling’ sounds
2. The boiler won’t turn on.
3. No water flows from taps
4. The toilet flushes very slowly
If you think that you have a frozen pipe, try and locate it. If you have a condensing boiler, this will probably be the condensate pipe, a plastic one that comes from outside and connects to the boiler.
Once you have found the frozen pipe, slowly pour hot (not boiling) water over it to thaw it out then put a hot water bottle over the pipe to melt the ice. If the pipe has not been damaged, the system should be fine, but the pipe will need insulation to prevent further freezing.
If your boiler is ever struggling, it’s never a bad idea to call Xgas, who specialise in boiler repair in Oswestry and other local areas. An engineer can call by home to check that the boiler and heating system are working properly. Get in touch with Xgas today to learn more.
