The £5 B&Q buy that stops pipes freezing and could save you £600 

ANYONE disquieted astir their pipes freezing successful colder upwind could lick the contented with a £5 bargain from B&Q. 

Not lone tin a burst pipe origin large problems astatine the time, but connected apical of this, you could find yourself dealing with leaks agelong aft the acold weather has gone.

But there’s an casual hack to trim the hazard of your pipes freezing during this utmost acold spell, according to Andy Simms, heating adept astatine MyBuilder.com.

He told The Sun: “If you person an outdoor tap, each you request to bash is bargain a ‘tap jacket’ for it.

This is simply a elemental insulated protector which goes implicit an exposed exterior faucet.”

You tin prime up 1 of these covers for little than £5 connected Amazon oregon B&Q Marketplace. They tin besides beryllium purchased from stores specified arsenic Screwfix and Toolstation.

“Frozen outdoor taps tin adhd superior unit to your interior pipes,” said Andy. “But a overgarment tin prevention you from a full big of problems.”

Andy recommends keeping the overgarment connected during January and February.

He said: “It lone takes a substance of minutes to enactment it on. Just gaffe it implicit the pat and hook it connected with the hook and strap.”
You past request to marque definite it is arsenic choky arsenic possible.

The gathering supremo added: “A pat screen volition safeguard your outdoor plumbing from freezing – helping springiness you bid of caput during the acold weather.”

According to MyBuilder.com, the outgo of repairing a burst tube typically ranges betwixt £150 and £600 – though the nonstop magnitude volition beryllium connected things specified arsenic the severity of the damage, the determination of the pipe, and the materials required.

Andy said: “A pat overgarment is simply a large mode to forestall harm and costly property repairs. And portion you’re astatine it, it’s besides bully signifier to disconnect immoderate hose pipes implicit winter, too.”

If you are unlucky capable to find yourself facing an exigency from a breached outdoor tap, it’s captious you cognize wherever your stopcock is located.

This mightiness dependable similar a no-brainer, yet probe from MyBuilder.com shows that astir fractional of UK homeowners don’t cognize wherever theirs is.

Andy said: “In an emergency, you’ll request to enactment rapidly – truthful instrumentality enactment present and familiarise yourself with wherever to find it.”

Be alert that exposed pipes successful immoderate unheated area, specified arsenic your store oregon basement tin beryllium peculiarly susceptible to freezing.

With this successful mind, it’s worthy investing successful extortion for these, too. By wrapping insulation astir them, you tin assistance to support them warmer – hopefully avoiding damage.

You tin prime up tube insulation from the likes of B&Q and Screwfix, with prices starting from conscionable a pound.

Andy has a elemental extremity to assistance support your location astatine a accordant somesthesia this winter.

“Allow lukewarm aerial to walk done the location via unfastened interior doors,” helium said. “If your tanks oregon pipes are successful cupboards, permission them unfastened to let lukewarm aerial to circulate too.”

In addition, it’s worthy adding draught excluders to doors and windows to halt them from letting acold in. 

You tin bargain ‘draught excluder tape’ from Amazon for little than a fiver, and tin find draught excluders astatine B&M, Wilko and The Range for nether a tenner.

Note that if you program connected leaving your location unattended this week – oregon during immoderate spell of highly acold upwind – there’s an accrued hazard of pipes bursting oregon freezing.

Andy said: “Whether visiting household – oregon escaping to warmer climates – it’s captious to instrumentality the close precautions to prevention you from costly damage.”

So what enactment bash you request to take?

“We urge keeping your thermostat connected astir 12-15°C erstwhile distant from your home,” said Andy.

“While it’s understandable that radical don’t privation to walk money connected heating an bare home, it’s important to support a tenable somesthesia portion you’re away.”

If you don’t person a thermostat, you tin usage the timer connected your boiler to acceptable the heating to travel connected for a abbreviated clip per day. Another enactment is to usage smart technology to power the somesthesia of your property.

Andy said: “You tin usage the distant thermostat to acceptable the somesthesia you prefer, wherever you are and whenever you want.”

The heating whizz has different important portion of proposal for those going away for a lengthy play this winter.

“It’s advisable to crook your h2o disconnected astatine the stopcock,” helium said. “This volition forestall immoderate leaks oregon burst pipes.”

Andy added: “Cold upwind tin wreak havoc connected our homes.

As always, preparing for this successful beforehand is ever the champion option.”

If you’ve not done truthful already, marque definite you get your boiler serviced.

The heating adept said: “The past happening anyone needs erstwhile the somesthesia plunges is simply a breached boiler.

Should this hap during freezing weather, you’ll not lone beryllium facing a acold house, but it could pb to burst pipes should the h2o wrong them freeze.”

An yearly boiler work volition guarantee immoderate imaginable issues are nipped successful the bud. Always usage a registered Gas Safe engineer. Expect to wage astir £100.

Once your boiler has been fixed the once-over, you whitethorn find you can crook down the wide temperature by a grade oregon truthful and inactive beryllium conscionable arsenic cosy – redeeming you immoderate much cash.

The Energy Saving Trust recommends you acceptable your thermostat to the lowest comfy temperature, which for astir is betwixt 18°C and 21°C.