Tips for Cold Snaps

Winter weather can burst your pipes and ruin your home. Follow these tips on avoiding burst or frozen pipes to keep the heat in - and the plumber out!

Prevention is better than cure. Find your stopcock now, rather than look for it when there is water pouring everywhere! It’s probably in the kitchen near the sink. Check that it is working properly, and if not, report it.

Get to know your heating controls - central heating thermostats and time switches can be complicated. For more information look at the Moray Energy Efficiency Advice Project.

Keep your home reasonably warm and check the plumbing each morning to make sure nothing is frozen.

If you have central heating, use the thermostat to keep the temperature comfortable. We recommend between 18 and 22. If it’s freezing outside, set the heating to stay on continuously, but turn the thermostat lower for the night. Remember, the higher the thermostat, the more fuel you use.

If you have central heating and you are away in cold weather, leave the heating on continuously with the thermostat set to low to stop your pipes freezing.  If you have not got central heating, turn the water off at the stopcock and drain the cold water, before turning off the immersion heater.  If you have a solid fuel boiler, let the fire die out, then drain off all the hot water.  If you need help to drain your plumbing system, please contact us.

Leave keys with a relative or neighbour, and contact us to let us know you are away.