Should we drain down?

princessamy86

Hi everyone
My mum has a flat where the tenant has just moved out, it has storage heaters and an immersion heater for the water. We're a bit worried about the potential for burst pipes in this kind of weather, what would you recommend? Should we get someone to come and drain the system?

Thanks for any advice.

red40

If you are worried about burst pipes and there is no new tenant ready to move in, then you should air on the side of caution and fully drain the hot and cold system down.

princessamy86

We thought that, it won't be let out until the end of January and with it being so cold at the moment it's a very real possibility! Next question: do we need to get a plumber out to do it?

robv_3

Just leave the heating on the lowest setting.

phill99

I agree with Red40. Even if you have the heating on low, something could still go wrong with it and you could still have a flood / burst pipe. You will also find that your insurers require you to mitigate any loss ie: do what is appropriate to reduce the risk of a flood / burst pipe occuring. Might be useful to check with them.

princessamy86

We can't have the heating on because it's storage heaters, there's no actual heating system it's just hot water. Good point about checking with the insurers! Any offers on whether we attempt ourselves or get a plumber out?

phill99

A plumber will prob only charge you £50 or £60. If you aren't sure what to do, it might be worth the money.

princessamy86

Yeah I think I will sort a plumber out now. Thanks everyone!!