During the current February cold snap, many Britons may be wondering how best to protect their homes and their bodies from the consequences of dipping temperatures, snow and ice.
With temperatures set to fall as low as -5 degrees in the coming weeks, we’ve outlined the below precautions you can take in order to minimise the effects of the wintery conditions around the house:
- Stay wary of frozen pipes
Frozen pipes in the home can lead to a burst pipe and potential flooding within the property. One of the best ways to avoid this happening is to leave the heating on throughout a particularly could bout of weather, regardless of whether you’re in the house or not. If you’re responsible for paying the heating and electricity bills, this may seem like a waste of money, but even keeping the heat on low (around 10 celsius) will ensure the pipes don’t get cold enough to freeze over.
You
can also avoid burst pipes by allowing your taps to drip throughout a
cold snap. If the pipes do freeze for whatever reason, letting the
faucet run slightly will prevent pressure from building up and
preventing the pipe from bursting.
- Don’t neglect your boiler
Regardless of the time of year, ensuring that your boiler is being checked regularly by a qualified plumber is crucial for all homeowners.
That
being said, a broken-down boiler during winter months is the worst-case
scenario for homeowners wanting to keep themselves and their family
members as warm as possible. Ensure that both your boiler and boiler
system have been fully serviced, and that they are both safe for use.
For future reference, the best time of the year to undertake these
checks is in the Autumn as the months of disuse during a warm Spring or
Summer may have created problems leading to central heating failures.
- Double check your insurance
If you think there is a chance that cold weather could have an adverse effect on your property during low temperatures, then be sure to check your home insurance policy and educate yourself on what exactly your insurance company will and won’t cover you for.
Recent research reported by Which? found that, of 390 home contents insurance policies on the UK market, only 21% included cover for home emergencies, such as boiler breakdowns, burst pipes, central heating failure, loss of hot water and other issues likely to cause the most issues during colder months.*
- Prepare your garden for the worst
Cold, wet and windy weather can cause several complications for your garden during winter months, but some preventative measures can ensure that the effects of the season are as minimal as possible.
Any
drainage issues should be dealt with as soon as they become clear, as
wet soil and grass can make younger or shallow rooted trees more likely
to collapse or come unstuck during strong winds. Outdoor plants that
can’t be moved inside during extreme weather can stay protected by being
wrapped in materials such as fleece, hessian, bracken, straw and even
polystyrene for insulation.
Tips provided by www.hillarys.co.uk