Six hacks to stop frozen pipes costing you thousands this Christmas

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An expert has issued advice to stop frozen pipes costing you thousands of pounds this Christmas period.Cold weather puts pipes at risk, you could live in your home for years and never have a problem.

But you can’t always predict a problem arising and it's better to be prepared for one than not. Frozen pipes are most common in colder areas of the home like the loft, garage or under sinks.Plumbing experts at Anchor Pumps have shared six hacks that can save you over £1,000 from frozen pipe damage, including one hack costing as little as £1. Add pipe insulation for as little as £1 Pipe insulation (or pipe lagging) is an easy and cost-effective way to protect your pipes from the cold.

You can buy a metre of foam insulation for less than £1 and it’s easy to fit onto the pipes yourself by making a cut along the foam tube and securing it with duct tape. Apply £3 heating tape Heating tape is ideal for short sections of pipe that are exposed to cold air.

Basic heating tape costs around £3 or more, you can also get automatic heating tape that turns on when it detects cold. Manual tape must be plugged in and turned off when not needed, this can be dangerous though so you must use it correctly. Keep the central heating on Central heating keeps the pipes warm and ensures a constant flow of water through the water system.