Winter Tips and Advice
To help you prepare for any cold snaps this year, local plumbing expert David Taylor has put together his top tips for survivng the cold winter months.
| Insulate your homeAround 50% of heat loss in a typical home is through the walls and loft, so it’s worth checking to make sure you have the appropriate insulation. Insulating your home properly will not only keep your house warmer but will also reduce the amount of energy you need to heat your home, saving you money. | |
| Upgrade your heating controlsHeating controls allow you to set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need it, which is essential to ensure your home is kept warm in winter, even when you’re not there. Modern controls also improve the efficiency of your system, reducing your carbon footprint and saving you money on fuel bills. | |
| Improve your boiler efficiencyHeating your home accounts for around 60% of what you spend in a year on energy bills, so replacing an old inefficient boiler with a new SEDBUK ‘A’ rated boiler could make a big difference to your heating bills. Also, many new high efficiency condensing boilers have a built in frost protection function that helps protect your boiler in winter. | |
| Look after yourselfIt may sound like common sense but it is important to wrap up well in winter in order to stay warm. • Wear plenty of thin layers, rather than one thick one • Put on a coat, hat, scarf, gloves and warm shoes or boots when you go outside • Wear clothes made of wool, cotton or fleecy synthetic fibres |
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Prepare for the winter freeze
1. Check the condition of insulation on pipes and water tanks. If it is damaged or too thin you should improve or replace it. Exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing temperatures.
2. Locate the mains stop tap for the water supply into your home. This is usually located under the sink in kitchens or utility rooms. Check to make sure you can turn it on and off and it’s a good idea to label it to make it easier to find in an emergency.
3. Dripping taps are a sign of problems and repairs should be made straight away rather than leaving for weeks. Especially hot water taps – you are heating water just to let it go down the drain! Even a gentle trickle of water can freeze and block a pipe.
4. Consider fitting a frost protection thermostat. This will help to protect boilers, pipework, as well as the fabric of the building when temperatures drop.
5. Keep a list of helpful contacts in case of emergencies:
- SNIPEF: 0131 556 0600
- Energy Saving Trust: 0800 512 012
- NI Water: 0845 744 00885
- NIE: 08457 643 643
- NIHE: 03448 920 900
- Phoenix Natural Gas: 08454 55 55 55*
Click here for your free pre-winter home energy audit >>