Frozen Pipes

paintpot

Any advice please.

A tenant called me today to say she had no water. I went through a few things on the phone with her but came to the conclusion it was frozen pipes. I had a maintenance guy round within less than 5 minutes and it was frozen pipes.

I don't own this house, it belongs to a friend and without going into the detail I know very little about the house and won't be managing it very soon as the tenant is only in there as a stop gap as her flat was flooded last year and being refurbed through the insurance company. She has my utmost sympathy.

What I do know is that the stop tap is outside and is a lead pipe but internally it is copper. The pipe outside is lagged but probably needs more lagging/renewing.

The house has central heating but the rads weren't heating downstairs due to an airlock and one stuck TRV. It's all functioning fine now.

I am worried though about the frozen pipe situation today in case of a burst pipe occurring. The maintenance guy was just on the same street at the time dealing with the same issue purely coincidentally hence such a speedy response and all the houses are designed the same way.

The stop tap is on the kitchen outside wall and the kitchen has NO heating albeit the rest of the house has central heating but there is no wall to fit a radiator and it's an old property. Did this contribute as I assume the frozen pipe stemmed from the stoptap outside?

What can be done in this situation to prevent frozen pipes in such bitter weather?

olly300

In kitchens where you can't put in a radiator you can put in an electric heater in a plinth under one of the bottom units or if there is wall space a normal electric heater can be attached. However it would be dependant on the person switching it on and in the people I know who had such heaters they didn't bother in the kitchen.

Even then the pipes directly outside the property if they are exposed to the elements will still freeze unless they are lagged.

HenryWeston

Try this http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Index/Heat_Tape/

Airwolf1

Also try posting in http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=39&pp=40

Gorgeous_George

The outside tap should be isolated (it should have its own stop tap in the house) and drained down in the winter months when freezing conditions are expected. Alternatively, the outside tap could be lagged and protected from frost.

I'd be tempted to use a hair drier to thaw the pipes and then I would isolate the outside tap and drain it as mentioned above.

GG

paintpot

Thanks guys.

I have had kick board/space heaters Olly in my own houses and like you say, they are rarely used.

The stop tap outside IS the main isolation stop tap to the water GG. That IS the problem I fear. It isn't an outside tap! I wish it was. It is lagged but the lagging is very old so I am getting it redone and I like the look of the tape Henry. It's just the design of the houses in the road being old that the stop tap is outside and I don't know how easy/difficult it would be to relocate inside as lead pipes are involved.

Airwolf, your link is to lots of posts so i need to try and find the one you are referring to. ETA Sorry realised my mistake!