By Liz King
HOMEOWNERS need to take precautions to prevent burst pipes if they are going away, especially now Britain is gripped by a cold snap.Burst pipes caused an average of £60,000 worth of damage last year, according to data from insurer esure, with homeowners returning to find ceilings collapsed through the water cascading through the property, resulting in extensive damage and homeowners needing help with finance.
Even if heating comes on twice a day, the problem may still occur, as a poorly insulated loft coupled with a severe cold spell overnight could still cause copper pipes to burst.
Gordon Hannah, director of claims at esure, said: “Last winter nearly every large burst pipe claim was a tragic blueprint. Families had gone away, freezing weather had caused their pipes to burst and they returned a day or two later to the widespread destruction of their homes and personal belongings. The cost of these home insurance claims is huge but the emotional impact and inconvenience to homeowners is worse.
“Many people think that they can’t turn the stop-cock off and leave the heating on but usually this is fine to do and it will completely prevent the source of water that can wreck a house. Homeowners should just check their heating manual to find out more about their particular system.
“Homeowners should take a simple precaution to prevent burst pipes if they go away during a cold period: leave the heating ticking over but turn the stop-cock off. Most central heating systems are ‘closed’ so turning the stop-cock off won’t affect them but it will prevent massive water damage if pipes burst.”
However, you should check your heating system is not affected before you do this.
