Last year’s prolonged big freeze affected thousands of holiday homes, with freezing temperatures leading to burst pipes and extensive property damage throughout the UK. Escape of water can devastate a holiday home and is one of the most common holiday home insurance claims.
Take some simple steps to protect your property from escape of water damage this winter..!
Here are some useful prevention tips as well as some advice on what to do in the event of you or your guests discovering burst and frozen pipes in your furnished holiday let.
Prevention Tips
As frozen pipes often burst, winter care is crucial. Try the following care tips:
Policy Conditions
Check your holiday home insurance policy conditions of cover, especially regarding:
- Regular inspections – what is required to ensure the policy remains valid?
- Heating – what utility usage should be carried out during the winter to ensure the policy remains valid?
Heating System Maintenance
Make sure your heating system is maintained in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.
Leave your heating on in sub zero temperatures
This means that water in pipes will remain at a constant temperature and should not get cold enough to freeze. Also remember to remove the hatch to your loft so that warm air can circulate. Please note that leaving your heating on frost stat alone may not be sufficient as with most makes of combi boiler this is designed only to protect the boiler itself from freezing.
Leaving your holiday home unoccupied for an extended period this winter?
Drain down your entire water system and turn off the water supply at the main stop cock situated outside of your premises.
Alternatively consider leaving heating on at a constant low level 24 hours a day, this means that water in pipes will remain at a constant temperature and should not get cold enough to freeze. Also remember to remove the hatch to your loft so that warm air can circulate. (This may appear environmentally unfriendly or a little extravagant during these economic conditions, but it might mean the difference between a ruined home or a dry one when you return.
And get someone to check on your holiday home regularly in between lets, if a problem is spotted early the damage could be much less.
One of the main causes of freezing pipes is lack of lagging - so anyone attempting to do a bit of plumbing themselves, should bear in mind that pipes and tanks in the loft, or anywhere else liable to freeze, need to be properly lagged.
Insulate on top of pipes
Insulation should be laid on top of pipes rather than underneath them, as insulation laid below the pipes will prevent rising heat reaching them. Wrap up water tanks and cisterns in insulating jackets.
Find the stop cock
Before cold weather arrives, find your main stop cock and make sure you can turn it on or off. It's generally found underneath your kitchen sink. There should also be an access point for a stop cock outside your home (normally near your driveway) so if all else fails you can turn off the supply there.
Check the taps
Repair any dripping taps and don't forget to insulate outside taps in your garden or garage (or turn off the water supply to them altogether).
Can I help prevent them bursting?
Open the tap nearest to the part of the pipe you think is frozen so the water can flow through when it has melted. Thaw the ice in the pipe with a hot water bottle or hairdryer (taking care to keep it well away from any water), beginning from the tap end and working back toward the cold water tank. Never use a heat gun or blow torch.
What to do if you discover a burst pipe
A burst pipe can cause serious damage to your home's structure and electrical wiring. Please follow these steps if you discover a burst pipe.
- Turn off the water at the main stop cock (it's generally found underneath your kitchen sink). By turning off the water you will reduce the amount of water which can escape and so minimise damage to your home.
- Switch off central heating and any other water heating installations at the same time to avoid further damage and open all taps to drain the system.
- If water leaks near your electrics or electrical appliances, switch off the mains immediately. If it is wet, don't touch them.
- Call professional tradesmen as soon as possible to make repairs.
Boshers Ltd, a specialist independent insurance intermediary based in Bideford, Devon, has been arranging specialist holiday home insurance for owners of commercially let UK holiday homes since 1990. The company has negotiated a specialist holiday home insurance policy with a leading insurer. Details are at holiday home insurance. You can also visit http://holiday-home-insurance-uk.blogspot.com/ for further informative articles.
