Cold Weather Maintenance

Cold Weather Maintenance

Cold weather maintenance

To help you be prepared:

***Inside***
• Weatherproof against any draughts: Check for any gaps around windows and doors that are letting in air and causing draughts. Seal them up with weather-stripping or caulk.
• Keep curtains closed for warmth.

***Heating***
• Bleed your radiators to be fully efficient.
• Keep your heating on a constant low heat when you’re out, to prevent pipes freezing and your boiler using more energy.
Frost thermostat settings are useful. Ideally you should heat your home to a temperature of at least 18 °C.
If a pipe has frozen, but not burst, avoid damage by:
• Removing items and electricals near the frozen pipe, to minimise damage costs if it does burst.
• Opening the tap nearest to the part of the pipe that’s frozen. This allows water to flow easier once it has melted.
• Thawing the ice in the frozen pipe with a water bottle, hot cloth or hairdryer – it’s important to keep this safely away from any water. Start at the end closest to the tap.

***Outside***
In your garden, driveway and around your home’s exterior, there are a few actions you can take to prevent snow, ice and rain damage:
• Cut down overgrown branches: Snow can also build up on them, causing branches to snap, fall and damage anything below. Trim them back to help avoid this.
• Lag any external pipes or taps with foam or thick clothing.

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Copyright: advice taken from multiple sources; LV, Axa and Met office. Photo; our own rights.